The invention provides a method for producing sheet-like particles of zeolite that cannot be obtained by a top-down method, and provides sheet-like particles of zeolite having an 8-membered oxygen ring structure obtained by the method. A thickness of the sheet-like particles is 1 nm to 100 nm, and an aspect ratio (maximum width/thickness in particles) of the sheet-like particles is 100 or more.

According to one embodiment, provided is an active material including a crystal particle that includes a niobium-titanium composite oxide. A ratio A.sub.Nb/A.sub.Ti of a Nb abundance A.sub.Nb to a Ti abundance A.sub.Ti in the crystal particle satisfies 2.3≤A.sub.Nb/A.sub.Ti≤4.0. According to a powder X-ray diffraction spectrum using a Cu-Kα ray for the crystal particle, an intensity ratio I.sub.β/I.sub.α of a peak intensity I.sub.β of a peak β appearing at 12.5°≤2θ≤13.0° to a peak intensity I.sub.α of a peak α appearing at 8.5°≤2θ≤9.0° is within a range of 0.1<I.sub.β/I.sub.α≤2.0.

The composite particle of the present invention includes an alumina particle having a card-house structure which is formed of three or more pieces of plate-like alumina and in which the pieces of plate-like alumina are fixed to each other; and an inorganic coating part provided on a surface of the plate-like alumina.

A cathode active material for lithium secondary batteries, a method of preparing the same, a cathode including the same, and a lithium secondary battery including the cathode are provided. The cathode active material includes nickel-based lithium metal oxide secondary particles each including a plurality of large primary particles, the nickel-based lithium metal oxide secondary particles having a hollow structure having pores therein, each of the plurality of large primary particles having a size of about 2 μm to about 6 μm, and each of the nickel-based lithium metal oxide secondary particles having a size of about 10 μm to about 18 μm; and a cobalt compound-containing coating layer on surfaces of the nickel-based lithium metal oxide secondary particles.

Provided are a nickel-manganese composite hydroxide capable of producing a secondary battery having a high particle fillability and excellent battery characteristics when used as a precursor of a positive electrode active material and a method for producing the same. A nickel-manganese composite hydroxide is represented by General Formula: Ni.sub.xMn.sub.yM.sub.z(OH).sub.2+α and contains a secondary particle formed of a plurality of flocculated primary particles. The primary particles have an aspect ratio of at least 3, and at least some of the primary particles are disposed radially from a central part of the secondary particle toward an outer circumference thereof. The secondary particle has a ratio I(101)/I(001) of a diffraction peak intensity I(101) of a 101 plane to a peak intensity I(001) of a 001 plane, measured by an X-ray diffraction measurement, of up to 0.15.

A crystalline precursor compound for manufacturing a lithium transition metal based oxide powder usable as an active positive electrode material in lithium-ion batteries, the precursor having a general formula M(O).sub.x(OH).sub.2-x-y(CO.sub.3).sub.y, with 0<x≤1, 0<y<0.03 and M=Ni.sub.aMn.sub.bCo.sub.cA.sub.d. A being a dopant, with 0.30≤a<0.90, 0.10≤b<0.40, 0.10≤c<0.40, d<0.05 and a+b+c+d=1, the precursor having a Na content less than 200 ppm, a S content less than 250 ppm, the precursor having a specific surface area with a BET value expressed in m.sup.2/g and a tap density TD expressed in g/cm.sup.3, with a ratio BET/TD>30.10.sup.4 cm.sup.5/g.sup.2.

A negative electrode active material including artificial graphite secondary particles comprising artificial graphite primary particles having an average particle diameter (D50) of 10 nm to 9 μm, said artificial graphite secondary particles being formed by granulating said artificial graphite primary particles, wherein a value (V.sub.1) obtained by dividing a minimum particle diameter (D.sub.min) of the secondary particles by the average particle diameter (D.sub.50) of the initial particles is 0.50 to 0.8, and a value (V.sub.2) obtained by dividing the minimum particle diameter (D.sub.min) of the secondary particles by an average particle diameter (D.sub.50) of the secondary particles is 0.23 to 0.4.

Nanosized cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate is synthesized by forming a solution including an organic compound and compounds of lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium; drying the solution to yield a solid; and heating the solid in the presence of oxygen to pyrolyze the organic compound to yield a product comprising nanosized cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate.

Provided is a positive electrode active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries for making high capacity and high output compatible, non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, to which the positive electrode active material is adopted, and a production method for a positive electrode active material in which the positive electrode active material can be easily produced even on an industrial scale. A positive electrode active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, comprising: primary particles of a lithium nickel composite oxide represented by at least General Formula: Li.sub.zNi.sub.1-x-yCo.sub.xM.sub.yO.sub.2 (0.95≤z≤1.03, 0<x≤0.20, 0<y≤0.10, x+y≤0.20, and M is at least one type of element selected from Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Nb, Zr, and Mo); and secondary particles configured by aggregating the primary particles, wherein an LiAl compound is provided on surfaces of the primary particles.

The present disclosure belongs to the technical filed of new carbon materials and relates to a novel sp.sup.2-sp.sup.3 hybrid crystalline carbon named Gradia and its preparation process. A novel sp.sup.2-sp.sup.3 hybrid carbon named Gradia is synthesized using sp.sup.2 hybrid carbon as raw materials under high temperature and high pressure. The basic structural units of Gradia are composed of sp.sup.2 hybrid graphite-like structural units and sp.sup.3 hybrid diamond-like structural units. Gradia disclosed in the present disclosure is a class of new sp.sup.2-sp.sup.3 hybrid carbon allotrope, whose crystal structure can vary with the widths and/or crystallographic orientation relationships of internal sp.sup.2 and/or sp.sup.3 structural units.