A composite cathode active material and a cathode and a lithium battery including the composite cathode active material. The composite cathode active material has a core including a plurality of primary particles including a nickel-containing first lithium transition metal oxide having a layered crystal structure; a grain boundary disposed between adjacent primary particles of the plurality of primary particles; and a shell on the core, the shell including a second lithium transition metal oxide having a spinel crystal structure, wherein the grain boundary includes a first composition having a spinel crystal structure.

A spinel-structured lithium manganese-based positive electrode active material includes a lithium manganese oxide represented by Formula 1, and a coating layer which is disposed on a surface of the lithium manganese oxide and includes at least one coating element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, tungsten, boron, fluorine, phosphorus, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium, vanadium, copper, calcium, zinc, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, strontium, antimony, bismuth, silicon, and sulfur, and a positive electrode and a lithium secondary battery which include the positive electrode active material,
Li.sub.1+aMn.sub.2−bM.sup.1.sub.bO.sub.4−cA.sub.c  [Formula 1] wherein, in Formula 1, M.sup.1 is at least one metallic element including lithium (Li), A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, astatine, and sulfur, 0≤a≤0.2, 0<b≤0.5, and 0≤c≤0.1.

Provided is an improved method for forming a coated lithium ion cathode materials specifically for use in a battery. The method comprises forming a first solution comprising a digestible feedstock of a first metal suitable for formation of a cathode oxide precursor and a multi-carboxylic acid. The digestible feedstock is digested to form a first metal salt in solution wherein the first metal salt precipitates as a salt of deprotonated multi-carboxylic acid thereby forming an oxide precursor and a coating metal is added to the oxide precursor. The oxide precursor is heated to form the coated lithium ion cathode material.

A method of making a cathode active material includes contacting a mixed metal composition with water to form a first solution. The mixed metal composition includes nickel, manganese, or nickel and manganese. A salt of nickel, manganese, or a combination thereof is added to the first solution to provide a second solution which can be further combined with a cosolvent to provide a third solution. The third solution can be further combined with a basic solution to provide a precipitate, which can be combined with a lithium compound and treated to provide the cathode active material having at least one phase having a spinel structure.

A positive electrode active material in the form of a single particle and a lithium secondary battery containing the positive electrode active material thereof are provided. The positive electrode active material has a nickel-based lithium composite metal oxide single particle. The single particle has a plurality of crystal grains. An average particle size (D50) of the single particle is from 3.5 μm to 8 μm. The single particle includes a metal doped in the crystal lattice thereof.

Methods for preparation of surfactant-free ultra-small spinel ternary metal oxide nanoparticles are provided. A method comprises dissolving first and second metal salts in deionized water in a specific mole ratio to form a solution comprising two different metal ions, applying a coprecipitation method and adding an alkaline solution to the solution to form a colloidal suspension, wherein a colloid of the colloidal suspension is a metal hydroxide, adjusting the amount and the addition rate of the alkaline solution to form a specific structure of metal hydroxide precipitate; washing and drying the metal hydroxide to form a structured metal hydroxide powder, and applying a calcination method to the structured metal hydroxide powder to form a surfactant-free spinel-type (AB.sub.2O.sub.4) ternary metal oxide, wherein A and B each respectively comprise a metal element.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to using cobalt (Co) to fine tune the magnetic properties, such as permeability and magnetic loss, of nickel-zinc ferrites to improve the material performance in electronic applications. The method comprises replacing nickel (Ni) with sufficient Co.sup.+2 such that the relaxation peak associated with the Co.sup.+2 substitution and the relaxation peak associated with the nickel to zinc (Ni/Zn) ratio are into near coincidence. When the relaxation peaks overlap, the material permeability can be substantially maximized and magnetic loss substantially minimized. The resulting materials are useful and provide superior performance particularly for devices operating at the 13.56 MHz ISM band.

Electrode materials for electrochemical cells and batteries and methods of producing such materials are disclosed herein. The electrode materials comprise an active lithium metal oxide material prepared by: (a) contacting the lithium metal oxide material with an aqueous acidic solution containing one or more metal cations; and (b) heating the so-contacted lithium metal oxide from step (a) to dryness at a temperature below 200° C. The metal cations in the aqueous acidic solution comprise one or more metal cations selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal ion, a transition metal ion, and a main group metal ion.

A lithium positive electrode active material intermediate including less than 80 wt % spinel phase and a net chemical composition of Li.sub.xNi.sub.yMn.sub.2-yO.sub.4-δ wherein 0.9≤x≤1.1; 0.4≤y≤0.5; and 0.1≤δ. Further, a process for the preparation of a lithium positive electrode active material with high tap density for a high voltage secondary battery where the cathode is fully or partially operated above 4.4 V vs. Li/Li+, comprising the steps of a)heating a precursor in a reducing atmosphere at a temperature of from 300° C. to 1200° C. to obtain a lithium positive electrode active material intermediate; b)heating the product of step a. in a non-reducing atmosphere at a temperature of from 300° C. to 1200° C.; wherein the mass of the product of step b. increases by at least 0.25% compared to the mass of the product of step a.

Electrode materials for electrochemical cells and batteries and methods of producing such materials are disclosed herein. The electrode materials comprise an active lithium metal oxide material prepared by: (a) contacting the lithium metal oxide material with an aqueous acidic solution containing one or more metal cations; and (b) heating the so-contacted lithium metal oxide from step (a) to dryness at a temperature below 200° C. The metal cations in the aqueous acidic solution comprise one or more metal cations selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal ion, a transition metal ion, and a main group metal ion.