A class of compositions that are inclusive of a lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride compound having a general formula: LiTM[n]OF where TM[n] represents a number of transition metal species inclusive of transitional metal species differentiated by charge or d.sup.0 electron shell conformation, with [n] being at least 4 of said transitional metal species, and wherein said lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride has a cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) structure and a mitigated SRO via a high entropy DRX design strategy. Also featured is a method of synthesizing the high entropy DRX lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride compounds, as well as usage of the same in Li-ion batteries, with particular utility in cathodes of such Li-ion batteries.

The present invention pertains to a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, the positive electrode active material having a layered structure and containing lithium, transition metals, fluorine (F), and oxygen, wherein the layered structure includes a lithium layer consisting solely of lithium and a transition metal layer consisting solely of transition metals including nickel, the nickel includes Ni.sup.3+ and Ni.sup.2+ in terms of oxidation number, and the ratio (Ni.sup.2+/Ni.sup.3+) of Ni.sup.2+ to Ni.sup.3+ increases as the fluorine content increases.

There is provided a method for collecting and reusing an active material from positive electrode scrap. The method for reusing a positive electrode active material of the present disclosure includes (a) thermally treating positive electrode scrap comprising an active material layer on a current collector in air for thermal decomposition of a binder and a conductive material in the active material layer, to separate the current collector from the active material layer, and collecting an active material in the active material layer, (b-1) washing the active material collected from the step (a) with a lithium compound solution which is basic in an aqueous solution, (b-2) mixing the active material washed from the step (b-1) with a lithium precursor aqueous solution and spray drying, and (c) annealing the active material spray dried from the step (b-2) to obtain a reusable active material.

There is provided a method for collecting and reusing an active material from positive electrode scrap. The method for reusing a positive electrode active material of the present disclosure includes (a) thermally treating positive electrode scrap comprising an active material layer on a current collector in air for thermal decomposition of a binder and a conductive material in the active material layer, to separate the current collector from the active material layer, and collecting an active material in the active material layer, (b-1) washing the active material collected from the step (a) with a lithium compound solution which is basic in an aqueous solution, (b-2) mixing the active material washed from the step (b-1) with a lithium precursor aqueous solution and spray drying, and (c) annealing the active material spray dried from the step (b-2) to obtain a reusable active material.

A method for manufacturing an electrode having a porosity of between 20% and 60% by volume and pores with an average diameter of less than 50 nm. In the method, provision is made of a substrate and a colloidal suspension of aggregates or agglomerates of monodisperse primary nanoparticles of an active electrode material, having an average primary diameter D.sub.50 of between 2 and 100 nm, the aggregates or agglomerates having an average diameter D.sub.50 of between 50 nm and 300 nm. A layer is deposited from said colloidal suspension on the substrate. The deposited layer is then dried and consolidated to obtain a mesoporous layer. A coating of an electronically conductive material is then deposited on and inside the pores of the porous layer. Such a porous electrode can be used in lithium-ion microbatteries.

A positive-electrode active material contains a compound that has a crystal structure belonging to a space group FM3-M and contains is represented by the composition formula (1) and an insulating compound,
Li.sub.xMe.sub.yO.sub.αF.sub.β  (1)
wherein Me denotes one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Fe, Al, B, Ce, Si, Zr, Nb, Pr, Ti, W, Ge, Mo, Sn, Bi, Cu, Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Y, Zn, Ga, Er, La, Sm, Yb, V, and Cr, and the following conditions are satisfied.
1.7≤x≤2.2
0.8≤y≤1.3
1≤α≤2.5
0.5≤β≤2

A positive-electrode active material contains a compound that has a crystal structure belonging to a space group FM3-M and contains is represented by the composition formula (1) and an insulating compound,
Li.sub.xMe.sub.yO.sub.αF.sub.β  (1)
wherein Me denotes one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Fe, Al, B, Ce, Si, Zr, Nb, Pr, Ti, W, Ge, Mo, Sn, Bi, Cu, Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Y, Zn, Ga, Er, La, Sm, Yb, V, and Cr, and the following conditions are satisfied.
1.7≤x≤2.2
0.8≤y≤1.3
1≤α≤2.5
0.5≤β≤2

Electrodes are formed with a porous layer of particulate electrode material bonded to each of the two major sides of a compatible metal current collector. In one embodiment, opposing electrodes are formed with like lithium-ion battery anode materials or like cathode materials or capacitor materials on both sides of the current collector. In another embodiment, a battery electrode material is applied to one side of a current collector and capacitor material is applied to the other side. In general, the electrodes are formed by combining a suitable grouping of capacitor layers with un-equal numbers of anode and cathode battery layers. One or more pairs of opposing electrodes are assembled to provide a combination of battery and capacitor energy and power properties in a hybrid electrochemical cell. The cells may be formed by stacking or winding rolls of the opposing electrodes with interposed separators.

Electrodes are formed with a porous layer of particulate electrode material bonded to each of the two major sides of a compatible metal current collector. In one embodiment, opposing electrodes are formed with like lithium-ion battery anode materials or like cathode materials or capacitor materials on both sides of the current collector. In another embodiment, a battery electrode material is applied to one side of a current collector and capacitor material is applied to the other side. In general, the electrodes are formed by combining a suitable grouping of capacitor layers with un-equal numbers of anode and cathode battery layers. One or more pairs of opposing electrodes are assembled to provide a combination of battery and capacitor energy and power properties in a hybrid electrochemical cell. The cells may be formed by stacking or winding rolls of the opposing electrodes with interposed separators.

A battery includes a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution including a nonaqueous solvent. The positive electrode active material includes a compound having a crystal structure belonging to a space group FM3-M and represented by Compositional Formula (1): Li.sub.xMe.sub.yO.sub.αF.sub.β, where, Me is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Fe, Al, B, Ce, Si, Zr, Nb, Pr, Ti, W, Ge, Mo, Sn, Bi, Cu, Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Y, Zn, Ga, Er, La, Sm, Yb, V, and Cr; and subscripts x, y, α, and β satisfy the following requirements: 1.7≤x≤2.2, 0.8≤y≤1.3, 1≤α≤2.5, and 0.5≤β≤2. The nonaqueous solvent includes a solvent having at least one fluoro group.