Negative active material for rechargeable lithium battery and method of preparing same

Abstract

A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery which exhibits good high-rate charge characteristics and cycle life characteristics. The active material includes a crystalline carbon core and a semi-crystalline carbon shell. The semi-crystalline carbon shell includes at least one element or a compound of at least two different types of elements and carbides thereof, and has a turbostratic or half onion-sheath. The compound includes only element. The element serves a graphitization catalyst and causes a change in a structure of surrounding carbon. In particular, the negative active material includes metal boride and metal carbide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.