A positive electrode material includes: Li.sub.2Ni.sub.αM.sup.1.sub.βM.sup.2.sub.γMn.sub.ηO.sub.4-ε. α satisfies a relational expression of 0.50<α≦1.33. γ satisfies a relational expression of 0.33≦γ≦1.1. η satisfies a relational expression of 0≦η≦1.00. β satisfies a relational expression of 0≦β<0.67. ε satisfies a relational expression of 0≦ε≦1.00. M.sup.1 is at least one type selected from Co and Ga. M.sup.2 is at least one type selected from Ge, Sn, and Sb. Li.sub.2Ni.sub.αM.sup.1.sub.βM.sup.2.sub.γMn.sub.ηO.sub.4-ε has a layered structure which includes a Li layer and a Ni layer. A crystal structure of Li.sub.2Ni.sub.αM.sup.1.sub.βM.sup.2.sub.γMn.sub.ηO.sub.4-ε is a superlattice structure.

Various lithium cobalt oxides materials having a chemical formula of Li.sub.xCo.sub.yO.sub.z, and method and apparatus of producing the various lithium cobalt oxides materials are provided. The method includes adjusting a molar ratio M.sub.LiSalt:M.sub.CoSalt of a lithium-containing salt, and a cobalt-containing salt within a liquid mixture to be equivalent to a ratio of x:y, drying a mist of the liquid mixture in the presence of a gas to form a gas-solid mixture, separating the gas-solid mixture into one or more solid particles of an oxide material, and annealing the solid particles of the oxide material in the presence of another gas flow to obtain crystallized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material. The process system has a mist generator, a drying chamber, one or more gas-solid separator, and one or more reactors.

A sulfide solid electrolyte containing lithium, phosphorus, sulfur; and one or more of elements X selected from the group consisting of halogen elements and chalcogen elements excluding sulfur, wherein the sulfide solid electrolyte includes an argyrodite-type crystal structure, and wherein a molar ratio of the lithium to the phosphorus, a (Li/P), a molar ratio of the sulfur to the phosphorus, b (S/P), and a molar ratio of the element X to the phosphorus, c (X/P), satisfy formulas (1) to (3): 5.0≤a≤7.1 (1) 1.0<a−b≤1.5 (2) 6.5≤a+c<7.1 (3) wherein b>0 and c>0 are satisfied.

A device comprising a nonlinear optical (NLO) material according to the formula XLi.sub.2Al.sub.4B.sub.6O.sub.20F. A device comprising a nonlinear optical material (NLO) according to the formula KSrCO.sub.3F, wherein the NLO comprises at least one single crystal. A nonlinear optical material selected from the group consisting of KSrCO.sub.3F Rb.sub.3Ba.sub.3Li.sub.2Al.sub.4B.sub.6O.sub.20F and K.sub.3Sr.sub.3Li.sub.2Al.sub.4B.sub.6O.sub.20F.

A mixed conductor represented by Formula 1:
A.sub.4±xTi.sub.5−yG.sub.zO.sub.12−δ  Formula 1 wherein, in Formula 1, A is a monovalent cation, G is at least one of a monovalent cation, a divalent cation, a trivalent cation, a tetravalent cation, a pentavalent cation, or a hexavalent cation, with the proviso that G is not Ti or Cr, wherein 0<x<2, 0.3<y<5, 0<z<5, and 0<δ≤3.

The present invention generally relates to P2-type layered materials for electrochemical devices such as Na-ion batteries with high rate performance, and methods of making or using such materials. In some embodiments, the P2-type layered material has the chemical formula Na.sub.X(Mn.sub.QFe.sub.RCo.sub.T)O.sub.2. The P2-type layered material may be synthesized, for example, by a solid state reaction. In some cases, the P2-type layered material may be used as an electrode in an electrochemical device. The electrochemical device may have higher initial discharge capacities at various charge/discharge rates in galvanostatic testing compared with the initial discharge capacities of other P2-type layered materials.

The present invention relates to a lithium composite metal oxide which satisfies the requirements (1) and (2) described below. Requirement (1): The ratio of the half width A of the diffraction peak within the range of 2θ=64.5±1° to the half width B of the diffraction peak within the range of 2θ=44.4±1°, namely A/B is from 1.39 to 1.75 (inclusive) in powder X-ray diffractometry using a Cu-Kα ray. Requirement (2): The ratio of the volume-based 90% cumulative particle size (D.sub.90) to the volume-based 10% cumulative particle size (D.sub.10), namely D.sub.90/D.sub.10 is 3 or more.

A positive electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery which has high capacity and excellent charge and discharge cycle performance, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided, or a method of manufacturing a positive electrode material with high productivity is provided. The positive electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery includes a crystal represented by a crystal structure with a space group R-3m, a first region, and a second region, which is in contact with at least part of an outer side of the first region and whose outer edge corresponds to a surface of the first particle. The ratio of manganese atoms to cobalt atoms in the first region is lower than the ratio of manganese atoms to cobalt atoms in the second region. The ratio of fluorine atoms to oxygen atoms in the first region is lower than the ratio of fluorine atoms to oxygen atoms in the second region.

The present invention provided a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery including lithium cobalt oxide particles. The lithium cobalt oxide particles include lithium deficient lithium cobalt oxide having Li/Co molar ratio of less than 1, belongs to an Fd-3m space group, and having a cubic crystal structure, in surface of the particle and in a region corresponding to a distance from 0% to less than 100% from the surface of the particle relative to a distance (r) from the surface to the center of the particle. In the positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention, the intercalation and deintercalation of lithium at the surface of a particle may be easy, and the output property and rate characteristic may be improved when applied to a battery.

To provide a lithium ion conductive crystal body having a high density and a large length and an all-solid state lithium ion secondary battery containing the lithium ion conductive crystal body. A Li.sub.5La.sub.3Ta.sub.2O.sub.12 crystal body, which is one example of the lithium ion conductive crystal body, has a relative density of 99% or more, belongs to a cubic system, has a garnet-related type structure, and has a length of 2 cm or more. The Li.sub.5La.sub.3Ta.sub.2O.sub.12 crystal body is grown by a melting method employing a Li.sub.5La.sub.3Ta.sub.2O.sub.12 polycrystal body as a raw material. With the growing method, a Li.sub.5La.sub.3Ta.sub.2O.sub.12 crystal body having a relative density of 100% can also be obtained. In addition, the all-solid state lithium ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte, in which the solid electrolyte contains the lithium ion conductive crystal body.