# US 2018/0026267 A1 · Nickel-based active material for lithium secondary battery, method of preparing the same, and lithium secondary battery including positive electrode including the nickel-based active material

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2018/0026267 A1
- Document ID: US20180026267A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/654,623
- Filed: 2017-07-19
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20
- Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jongmin KIM; Jiyoon KIM; Pilsang YUN; Donggyu CHANG; Kwanghwan CHO; Jangsuk HYUN; Jinhwa KIM
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180026267A1

## CPC

- H01M 4/525: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
- C01G 53/502: containing lithium and cobalt
- C01G 53/504: with the molar ratio of nickel with respect to all the metals other than alkali metals higher than or equal to 0.5, e.g. Li(MzNixCoyMn1-x-y-z)O2 with x ≥ 0.5
- C01G 53/506: with the molar ratio of nickel with respect to all the metals other than alkali metals higher than or equal to 0.8, e.g. Li(MzNixCoyMn1-x-y-z)O2 with x ≥ 0.8
- H01M 4/485: of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy (H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence)
- H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators
- C01P 2002/72: by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram
- C01P 2002/85: by XPS, EDX or EDAX data
- C01P 2004/03: obtained by SEM
- C01P 2004/50: Agglomerated particles
- C01P 2004/90: Other morphology not specified above
- C01P 2006/12: Surface area
- C01P 2006/16: Pore diameter
- C01P 2006/40: Electric properties
- H01M 2004/021: {Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area}
- H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C01G: COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts or peroxyacids C01B15/00; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium, or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds containing nitrogen, other non-metals and metal C01B21/082}; metal amides C01B21/092; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20)
- C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A nickel-based active material for a lithium secondary battery, a method of preparing the nickel-based active material, and a lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode including the nickel-based active material, the nickel-based active material comprising a secondary particle having an outer portion with a radially arranged structure and an inner portion with an irregular porous structure, wherein the inner portion of the secondary particle has a larger pore size than the outer portion of the secondary particle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nickel-based active material for a lithium secondary battery, the nickel-based active material comprising a secondary particle having an outer portion with a radially arranged structure and an inner portion with an irregular porous structure,
the inner portion of the secondary particle having a larger pore size than the outer portion of the secondary particle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nickel-based active material of claim 1, wherein a pore size of the inner portion of the secondary particle is about 150 nm to about 1 μm, and a pore size of the outer portion of the secondary particle is less than about 150 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The nickel-based active material of claim 1, wherein the secondary particle further comprises an open pore having a size of less than about 150 nm toward the center of the inner portion of the secondary particle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The nickel-based active material of claim 1, wherein the nickel-based active material comprises a plate particle having a long axis arranged in a radial direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The nickel-based active material of claim 4, wherein the plate particle has an average length of about 150 nm to about 500 nm and an average thickness of about 100 nm to about 200 nm, and a ratio of the average thickness to the average length is about 1:2 to about 1:5.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The nickel-based active material of claim 1, wherein the nickel-based active material is an active material represented by Formula 1:
Lia(Ni1-x-y-zCoxMnyMz)O2 Formula 1
wherein, in Formula 1, M is an element selected from boron (B), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zirconium (Zr), and aluminum (Al), and
a, x, y, and z satisfy the following relations: 0.95≦a≦1.3, x≦(1−x−y−z), y≦(1−x−y−z), z≦(1−x−y−z), 0<x<1, 0≦y<1, and 0≦z≦1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The nickel-based active material of claim 6, wherein, in Formula 1, a, x, y, and z satisfy the following relations: 0.95≦a≦1.3, 0<x≦0.33, 0≦y≦0.5, 0≦z≦0.05, and 0.33≦(1−x−y−z)≦0.95.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The nickel-based active material of claim 6, wherein:
an amount of nickel in the nickel-based active material is about 33 mol % to about 95 mol % based on a total amount of transition metals including nickel, cobalt, manganese, and M contained in the nickel-based active material,
the amount of nickel in the nickel-based active material is higher than that of manganese, and
the amount of nickel in the nickel-based active material is higher than that of cobalt.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The nickel-based active material of claim 1, wherein the nickel-based active material is LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2, LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2, LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2, LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, or LiNi0.85Co0.1Al0.05O2.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The nickel-based active material of claim 1, wherein an overall porosity of the nickel-based active material is about 1% to about 8%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method of preparing the nickel-based active material of claim 1, the method comprising:
performing a first heat treatment on a mixture comprising a lithium precursor and a metal hydroxide at a temperature of about 600° C. to about 800° C. in an oxidative gas atmosphere.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising, after the performing of the first heat treatment, performing a second heat treatment on the mixture at a temperature of about 700° C. to about 900° C. in an oxidative gas atmosphere, wherein the second heat treatment is performed at a higher temperature than the first heat treatment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the metal hydroxide is a compound represented by Formula 2:
(Ni1-x-y-zCoxMnyMz)(OH)2, Formula 2
wherein, in Formula 2, M is an element selected from boron (B), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zirconium (Zr), and aluminum (Al), and
x, y, and z satisfy the following relations: x≦(1−x−y−z), y≦(1−x−y−z), z≦(1−x−y−z), 0<x<1, 0≦y<1, and 0≦z<1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A lithium secondary battery comprising:
a positive electrode comprising the nickel-based active material of claim 1;
a negative electrode; and
an electrolyte between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The lithium secondary battery of claim 14, wherein a pore size of the inner portion of the nickel-based active material is about 150 nm to about 1 μm, and a pore size of the outer portion of the nickel-based active material is less than about 150 nm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The lithium secondary battery of claim 14, further comprising an open pore having a size of less than about 150 nm in an inner portion of a secondary particle of the nickel-based active material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The lithium secondary battery of claim 14, wherein the nickel-based active material comprises a plate particle having a long axis arranged in a radial direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The lithium secondary battery of claim 17, wherein the plate particle has an average length of about 150 nm to about 500 nm and an average thickness of about 100 nm to about 200 nm, and a ratio of the average thickness to the average length is about 1:2 to about 1:5.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The lithium secondary battery of claim 14, wherein the nickel-based active material is an active material represented by Formula 1:
Lia(Ni1-x-y-zCoxMnyMz)O2 Formula 1
wherein, in Formula 1, M is an element selected from boron (B), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zirconium (Zr), and aluminum (Al), 0.95≦a≦1.3, x≦(1−x−y−z), y≦(1−x−y−z), 0<x<1, 0≦y<1, and 0≦z<1.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The lithium secondary battery of claim of claim 14, wherein the nickel-based active material is LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2, LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2, LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2, LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, or LiNi0.85Co0.1Al0.05O2.