WO2016038983A1

WO2016038983A1 - Positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries, positive electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries, and lithium ion secondary battery

Info

Publication number: WO2016038983A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/068472
Authority: WO
Inventors: 達哉遠山; 心高橋; 所　久人; 秀一高野; 章軍司; 崇中林; 小西　宏明; 孝亮馮; 翔古月
Original assignee: 日立金属株式会社
Priority date: 2014-09-10
Filing date: 2015-06-26
Publication date: 2016-03-17
Also published as: JP6493408B2; JPWO2016038983A1

Abstract

Provided is a positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries, which has excellent charge/discharge capacity and excellent charge/discharge cycle characteristics. A positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries according to the present invention contains primary particles having a structure represented by composition formula (1) or secondary particles, each of which is composed of aggregated primary particles. Li_1+xM1_1-x-yM2_yO₂ (1) (In the formula, x satisfies -0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.3; y satisfies 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.1; M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co and Mn; and M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb.) This positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries is characterized in that (M1 + M2)/O (atomic ratio) in the central parts of the primary particles or the secondary particles is higher than (M1 + M2)/O (atomic ratio) in the surface layers of the primary particles or the secondary particles.

Description

Positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary battery, positive electrode for lithium ion secondary battery, and lithium ion secondary battery

The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery and a lithium ion secondary battery using the same.

Lithium ion secondary batteries are characterized by high energy density and low memory effect compared to other secondary batteries such as nickel / hydrogen storage batteries and nickel / cadmium storage batteries. Therefore, from small power sources such as portable electronic devices and household electric devices, stationary power sources such as power storage devices, uninterruptible power supply devices, power leveling devices, driving power sources for ships, railways, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, etc. Applications have been expanded to medium- and large-sized power supplies, and further improvements in battery performance are required. In particular, lithium ion secondary batteries deployed as medium and large power supplies are required to have a high energy density that can achieve a high capacity with a low volume.

In response to such demands, LiMO ₂ with alpha-NaFeO ₂ type layer structure (M represents Ni, Co, an element such as Mn.) Positive electrode active material, development has a high charge-discharge capacity intensive It is being advanced. On the other hand, the layered positive electrode active material is characterized in that the structural change proceeds from the vicinity of the surface and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics deteriorate when the Li desorption amount becomes a certain level or more during charging.

Therefore, a technique for improving the charge / discharge cycle characteristics of the layered positive electrode active material by changing the element concentration ratio in the vicinity of the surface and inside of the positive electrode active material has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that one or more additional elements M1 selected from the group consisting of Co, Al, and Mn and one or more additional elements other than M1 selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Ti, and Mg. A lithium nickel composite oxide containing M2 and containing Li and Ni as main components, wherein the atomic concentration ratio of the additive element M2 in the surface layer portion and the center portion of the secondary particles of the positive electrode active material is 1.25 to 3, a positive electrode active material characterized in that it is 3 is disclosed. Patent Document 2 discloses a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery containing a lithium nickel composite oxide having a concentration gradient in which lithium ions decrease from the surface portion of the lithium nickel composite oxide toward the core portion. Distributed positive electrode active materials for lithium secondary batteries are disclosed.

JP 2010-44963 A JP 2012-18925 A

As disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is considered that by increasing the concentration of the additive element in the vicinity of the surface of the positive electrode active material, it is possible to suppress the structural change from the vicinity of the surface and improve the charge / discharge cycle characteristics. It is done. However, simply increasing the concentration of the additive element M2 in the vicinity of the surface of the positive electrode active material in order to improve the charge / discharge cycle characteristics is considered to decrease the concentration of Li contributing to charge / discharge, depending on the concentration of the additive element. There is a high risk that the charge / discharge capacity will decrease. Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the amount of the transition metal is made constant and the lithium nickel composite oxide is simply distributed with a concentration gradient in which lithium ions decrease from the surface portion to the core portion, the surface There is a high possibility that nearby Li cannot form a layered structure and becomes surplus lithium, resulting in a decrease in charge / discharge capacity.

Therefore, the subject of this invention is providing the positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries which is excellent in charging / discharging capacity | capacitance and charging / discharging cycling characteristics, a positive electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries, and a lithium ion secondary battery using the same. is there.

In order to solve the above problems, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present invention has the following composition formula (1):
Li _{1 + x} M1 _1-xy M2 _y O ₂ (1)
[Wherein x is −0.1 ≦ x ≦ 0.3, y is 0 ≦ y ≦ 0.1, and M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, and Mn. M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb. ]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery comprising primary particles having a structure represented by: or secondary particles in which the primary particles are aggregated,
(M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particle or the secondary particle is higher than (M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) in the surface layer of the primary particle or the secondary particle. .

Moreover, a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present invention is characterized by including the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery.

Further, a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present invention includes the above-described positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery.

This specification includes the contents described in the specification and / or drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-184323, which is the basis of the priority of the present application.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery excellent in charge / discharge capacity and charge / discharge cycle characteristics, a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery and a lithium ion secondary battery using the positive electrode active material. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of a lithium ion secondary battery. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material according to Example 1 and the (M1 + M2) concentration ratio. It is a graph which shows the discharge capacity characteristic and charging / discharging cycle characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery which concerns on an Example and a comparative example.

Hereinafter, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, and a lithium ion secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment has a layered structure, and the concentration ratios of constituent elements are different between the center and the surface layer of the positive electrode active material. Specifically, the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment has the following composition formula (1):
Li _{1 + x} M1 _1-xy M2 _y O ₂ (1)
[Wherein x is −0.1 ≦ x ≦ 0.3, y is 0 ≦ y ≦ 0.1, and M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, and Mn. M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb. ]
Or a secondary particle in which the primary particles are aggregated, and the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particle or the secondary particle is the primary particle or the secondary particle. It is higher than the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio (atomic ratio) in the surface layer of the secondary particles.

The layered positive electrode active material represented by the composition formula (1) is generally a positive electrode active material capable of repeating reversible insertion and desorption of lithium ions with charge and discharge and having a large theoretical capacity. However, on the other hand, it has a feature that the charge / discharge cycle characteristics are not always excellent when a certain amount of Li is extracted. When a lithium ion secondary battery using this layered positive electrode active material is charged to a high voltage, the charge / discharge cycle characteristics are greatly deteriorated. Therefore, the end-of-charge voltage is usually kept low, and a high theoretical capacity is sufficient. There is a current situation that can not be utilized. Note that the composition formula (1) shows a theoretical balance between Li and M1 and M2 and oxygen [O] in order to clarify that it is a layered compound structure. Therefore, in the present invention, the value of M1, which is the difference, may be deviated from the value of 1-xy within a range in which the layered compound structure can be maintained. Typically acceptable values of M1 are in the range of 1−xy values ± 0.03.

As a factor that deteriorates the charge / discharge cycle characteristics of the layered positive electrode active material, decomposition of the electrolytic solution due to contact between the transition metal element and the electrolytic solution can be considered. In the layered positive electrode active material, the transition metal is responsible for charge compensation when Li ionized during charging is desorbed. For this reason, it is considered that the transition metal becomes an unstable charge state as Li is desorbed, and further, the oxidative decomposition of the electrolytic solution is promoted due to the increase in voltage, thereby deteriorating the battery performance.

Therefore, in the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment, the transition metal that maintains a high charge / discharge capacity without reducing the proportion of the transition metal in the entire positive electrode active material and becomes an unstable charge state. In order to suppress the progress of oxidative decomposition of the electrolytic solution due to contact with the electrolytic solution, the ratio of the metal element excluding lithium and oxygen in the positive electrode active material is reduced in the surface layer compared to the center, and the charge / discharge capacity and Improves charge / discharge cycle characteristics.

In the composition formula (1), x represents the excess or deficiency of Li from the stoichiometric ratio (Li: M: O = 1: 1: 2) of the layered positive electrode active material (LiMO ₂ ). As the amount of Li increases, the valence of the transition metal before charging becomes higher, and the rate of change in the valence of the transition metal at the time of Li desorption is reduced, so that the charge / discharge cycle characteristics are improved. On the other hand, the larger the amount of Li, the lower the charge / discharge capacity of the layered positive electrode active material. Therefore, x is in the range of −0.1 to 0.3, preferably −0.05 to 0.2. If x is a composition of −0.1 or more, a sufficient amount of Li to contribute to charge / discharge is ensured, and a high capacity can be achieved. In addition, when x is a composition of 0.3 or less, sufficient charge compensation due to a change in the valence of the transition metal can be ensured, and both high capacity and high charge / discharge cycle characteristics can be achieved.

In the composition formula (1), M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, and Mn. When Ni, Co, or Mn is used as the transition metal, the Li insertion / desorption potential becomes as high as 3 V or more, and a high charge / discharge capacity can be obtained. The Ni content is preferably 40% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less with respect to 100% by mass of the total mass of the elements of M1. The Co content is preferably 0% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less with respect to 100% by mass of the total mass of the elements of M1. The Mn content is preferably more than 0% by mass and 30% by mass or less with respect to 100% by mass of the total mass of the elements of M1.

Further, in the composition formula (1), M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb, and the composition ratio y of these elements is 0 or more. The range is 0.1 or less. In the composition formula (1), the electrochemical activity in the layered positive electrode active material is ensured by containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co and Mn represented by M1 as the metal element. be able to. Then, by substituting these transition metal sites with an element of M2 which is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb, the stability of the crystal structure and the layered positive electrode active material The electrochemical characteristics (cycle characteristics, etc.) can be improved.

As described above, the element of M1 can be at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, and Mn, but preferably contains Ni, more preferably contains Ni and Mn. . Specifically, the layered positive electrode active material preferably has a composition represented by the following composition formula (2).
Li _{1 + x} Ni _1-xy-ab Co _a Mn _b M2 _y O ₂ (2)
[Wherein x is −0.1 ≦ x ≦ 0.3, y is 0 ≦ y ≦ 0.1, a is 0 ≦ a ≦ 0.3, and b is 0 <b ≦ 0. 3 and M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb. ]

By setting the layered positive electrode active material to such a composition, it is possible to ensure a good charge / discharge capacity. The composition formula (2) shows a theoretical balance between Li, Ni, Co, Mn, M2, and oxygen [O] in order to clarify that the layered compound structure is used. . Therefore, in the present invention, the Ni value as a difference may deviate from the value of 1-xyab within a range in which the layered compound structure can be maintained. Typically acceptable Ni values are in the range of ± 0.03 values of 1-xyab.

The composition of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment is not limited to strictly following the stoichiometric ratio, and the composition may be an indefinite ratio without departing from the gist of the present invention. There may be substitution or defect between sites on the crystal structure. In addition, as described above, the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment has different concentration ratios of constituent elements between the center and the surface layer, but is represented by the above composition formulas (1) and (2). The composition is an averaged composition assuming that the entire positive electrode active material has a uniform composition. Therefore, the composition of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment represented by the composition formulas (1) and (2) is different from any composition in the surface layer and the center, and the stoichiometric ratio is May not follow.

The positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present embodiment includes primary particles having a predetermined composition or secondary particles in which the primary particles are aggregated, and (M1 + M2) / at the center of the primary particles or the secondary particles. The O concentration ratio is higher than the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the surface layer. That is, the surface layer of the particle is a region composed of a composition having a smaller (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio than the average composition of the whole particle represented by the composition formula (1). Here, the “surface layer” of primary particles or secondary particles refers to a region from the outermost surface of the particle to a depth corresponding to 10% of the average particle diameter of the particle. Therefore, the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the surface layer refers to the average value of (M1 + M2) / O in the surface layer. In addition, the “center” of the primary particle or the secondary particle is between the depth position corresponding to 15% of the average particle diameter from the outermost surface of the particle and the depth position corresponding to 50% of the average particle diameter. An area. Therefore, the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio at the center refers to the average value of (M1 + M2) / O at the center. And, the “M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the center is“ higher ”than the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the surface layer means that the value of (M1 + M2) / O in the center is higher than the value of (M1 + M2) / O in the surface layer. High, preferably 0.01 or higher. Particularly preferably, the difference in (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio between the surface layer and the center is 0.02 or more and 0.10 or less. The specific value of the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio varies depending on the composition of the positive electrode active material and is not particularly limited, but the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio of the surface layer is 0.43 or more and 0.00. It is preferably 48 or less, and the central (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio is preferably 0.49 or more and 0.51 or less.

1 to 3 show embodiments that can be included in the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present invention. First, a positive electrode active material 100A for a lithium ion secondary battery shown in FIG. 1 is composed of primary particles having a predetermined composition, a center 110A having a high (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio, and a (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio. It has a portion of the lower surface layer 120A. Moreover, the positive electrode active material 100B for a lithium ion secondary battery shown in FIG. 2 is composed of secondary particles in which primary particles having a predetermined composition are aggregated, and the (M1 + M2) / O concentration on the entire surface as the secondary particles. A surface layer 120B having a low ratio is formed, and an inner portion covered with the surface layer 120B becomes a center 110B having a high (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio. Furthermore, the positive electrode active material 100C for a lithium ion secondary battery shown in FIG. 3 is composed of secondary particles in which primary particles are aggregated in the same manner as in FIG. 2, and each primary particle has a (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio. A center 110C having a high A and a portion of the surface layer 120C having a low (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio are formed. Thereby, the surface layer 120C having a low (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio is formed on the entire surface as the secondary particles. In the example of FIG. 3, when obtaining the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio from the composition of the center 110C, except for the surface layer 120C portion of the primary particles embedded inside other than the surface of the secondary particles, The concentration ratio is obtained based only on the composition of the center 110C.

In the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to this embodiment, the average value of the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the “center” region defined as described above is (M1 + M2) / O concentration in the “surface layer” region. The distribution state of the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in each region is not particularly limited as long as it is higher than the average value of the ratios. For example, (1) it may have a concentration gradient in which the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio gradually increases from the outermost surface of the primary particles or secondary particles toward the center, or (2) the primary particles or the secondary particles. The (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio is constant (change within an average value ± 5%) in each region of the surface layer and the center of the next particle, and the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio is discontinuously between the surface layer and the center. Alternatively, it may be in a state where it changes with an abrupt concentration gradient. Alternatively, (3) (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio is constant in the surface layer of primary particles or secondary particles, and (M1 + M2) / O from the depth position corresponding to 10% of the average particle diameter toward the center side. It may have a concentration gradient in which the concentration ratio gradually increases. Among these, the form (2) is preferable. The surface layer side of the primary particles or secondary particles having a low (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio suppresses the decomposition of the electrolytic solution due to the contact between the transition metal element and the electrolytic solution during charging, thereby improving the discharge cycle characteristics. . On the other hand, since the transition metal that can participate in the charge / discharge reaction is secured on the center side of the primary particles or secondary particles having a high (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio, a high charge / discharge capacity can be obtained.

In the surface layer of primary particles or secondary particles, x in the composition formula (1) or (2) is preferably in the range of 0.07 or more and 0.25 or less. In the center of the primary particle or secondary particle, x in the composition formula (1) or (2) is preferably in the range of −0.05 or more and 0.05 or less. When the value of x at the center is −0.05 or more and 0.05 or less, a high charge / discharge capacity can be obtained. At this time, if the value of x in the surface layer is 0.07 or more and 0.25 or less, the charge / discharge cycle characteristics can be further improved while securing the charge / discharge capacity.

Furthermore, in the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment, the Li / O concentration ratio (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particles or secondary particles is the Li / O concentration ratio (atomic ratio) in the surface layer. Is preferably lower. Here, the phrase “the central Li / O concentration ratio is“ lower ”than the surface layer” means that the value of the Li / O concentration ratio at the center is lower than the value of the Li / O concentration ratio at the surface layer, preferably 0. .01 or lower. This is preferable because the continuity of the crystal structure is maintained and distortion of the structural change in the charge / discharge cycle is suppressed. Further, the lithium concentration and oxygen concentration in each region of the center and the surface layer mean the average atomic concentration of lithium and oxygen in each region.

The average composition of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment can be confirmed using high frequency inductively coupled plasma (ICP), atomic absorption analysis (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry; AAS), or the like. . The crystal structure of the positive electrode active material can be confirmed by an X-ray diffraction method (X-ray diffraction; XRD) or the like. Furthermore, the element distribution in the primary particles or secondary particles of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment is determined by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (Time-of-flight-secondary-ion-mass-spectrometer; TOF-SIMS). ), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy; XPS), Transmission Electron Microscope-Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (Transmission Electron Microscopy-Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy; TEM-EELS), It can be confirmed using glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (Glow-discharge-optical-emission-spectrometry; GD-OES).

Moreover, it is preferable that the average particle diameter of the primary particles of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to this embodiment is 0.1 μm or more and 2 μm or less. By setting the average particle size to 2 μm or less, the filling property of the positive electrode active material in the positive electrode is improved, and a good energy density can be achieved. Moreover, when the positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries is comprised from the secondary particle which the primary particle aggregated, it is preferable that the average particle diameter of a secondary particle is 5 micrometers or more and 50 micrometers or less.

The average particle diameter can be measured based on observation with a scanning electron microscope (Scanning Electron Microscope; SEM) or a transmission electron microscope (Transmission Electron Microscope; TEM). By observation, 20 primary particles or secondary particles are extracted in order from the particle diameter close to the median value, and a weighted average of these particle diameters is calculated to obtain an average particle diameter. In addition, a particle diameter can be calculated | required as an average value of the long diameter and short diameter of a particle | grain in the observed electron microscope image.

Hereinafter, a method for producing a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery will be described in detail. The method for producing a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment mainly includes a step of synthesizing a positive electrode active material core particle having a central composition, and a step of synthesizing a precursor attached to the surface of the core particle. And an adhesion step of attaching the precursor to the surface of the core particle, and a heating step of heat-treating the attached particle.

The positive electrode active material core particles can be produced according to a general production method of a positive electrode active material. Examples of such production methods include a solid phase method, a coprecipitation method, a sol-gel method, and a hydrothermal method. Is mentioned.

In the production of positive electrode active material core particles using a solid phase method, raw material Li-containing compounds, M1 containing compounds, and the like are weighed at a ratio of a predetermined element composition, pulverized and mixed to prepare raw material powders. As the Li-containing compound, for example, lithium acetate, lithium nitrate, lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, lithium sulfate and the like can be used, and lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide are preferable. As the M1-containing compound, for example, M1 acetate, nitrate, carbonate, sulfate, oxide, hydroxide, and the like can be used, and carbonate, oxide, and hydroxide are particularly preferable. When M2 element is contained, M2 acetate, nitrate, carbonate, sulfate, oxide, hydroxide and the like can be used.

For the pulverization and mixing when preparing the raw material powder, any of dry pulverization and wet pulverization methods can be used. As the pulverizing means, for example, a pulverizer such as a ball mill, a bead mill, a planetary ball mill, an attritor, or a jet mill can be used.

The prepared raw material powder is fired to obtain positive electrode active material core particles (primary particles). The firing of the raw material powder is preferably performed by pre-baking to thermally decompose the raw material compound and then performing the main firing. Moreover, you may crush and classify suitably before this baking. The heating temperature in the pre-baking can be, for example, about 400 ° C. to 700 ° C., and the heating temperature in the main baking can be, for example, 700 ° C. to 1100 ° C., preferably 800 ° C. to 1000 ° C. Within such a temperature range, the crystallinity can be improved while avoiding the decomposition of the positive electrode active material core particles and the volatilization of the components. The firing time in the pre-baking is 2 hours or more and 24 hours or less, preferably 4 hours or more and 16 hours or less, and the firing time in the main firing is 2 hours or more and 24 hours or less, preferably 4 hours or more and 16 hours or less. can do. Firing may be repeated a plurality of times.

The firing atmosphere may be either an inert gas atmosphere or an oxidizing gas atmosphere, but is preferably an oxidizing gas atmosphere such as oxygen or air. By performing firing in an oxidizing gas atmosphere, it is possible to avoid contamination by impurities due to incomplete thermal decomposition of the raw material compound and to improve crystallinity. The fired solid solution particles may be air-cooled, gradually cooled in an inert gas atmosphere, or rapidly cooled using liquid nitrogen or the like.

Further, the positive electrode active material core particles are primary particles, and may be formed into secondary particles by granulating the primary particles by dry granulation or wet granulation. As the granulating means, for example, a granulator such as a spray dryer can be used.

For the production of the precursor attached to the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles, the same means as the production of the positive electrode active material core particles can be used. The precursor preferably contains Li, and the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio is preferably lower than that of the core particles. Specifically, Li _1.2 Ni _0.13 Co _0.13 Mn _0.54 O ₂ , Li _1.2 Ni _0.2 Mn _0.6 O ₂ , Li ₂ MnO ₃ , Li ₂ TiO ₃ , Li ₂ ZrO ₃ , Li ₂ MoO ₃ , Li ₂ NbO _{3 and the} like. In order to uniformly adhere to the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles in the subsequent step, the average particle size of the primary particles of the precursor is about 1/10 compared to the average particle size of the primary particles of the positive electrode active material core particles. That is, it is preferable to set the thickness to about 0.01 μm to 0.2 μm. Therefore, the heating temperature for firing is preferably lower than that in the case of producing the positive electrode active material core particles, and is, for example, 400 ° C. or higher and 900 ° C. or lower, preferably 500 ° C. or higher and 800 ° C. or lower.

In the attaching step, the precursor is attached to the primary particles of the positive electrode active material core particles so as to have the form shown in FIG. 1, or the precursor is attached to the positive electrode active material core particles formed into the secondary particles, as shown in FIG. The form shown is as follows. Alternatively, in order to produce a positive electrode active material having the form shown in FIG. 3, the precursor may be attached to the positive electrode active material core particles of the primary particles and then formed into secondary particles. When the precursor is attached to the positive electrode active material core particles of the primary particles, the precursor is attached to all the particles, which is highly effective in suppressing contact between the transition metal element and the electrolytic solution. In addition, when a precursor is attached to the positive electrode active material core particles that are made into secondary particles, the positive electrode active material core particles can be efficiently covered with the precursor, and the contact between the transition metal element and the electrolyte is suppressed. be able to. The positive electrode active material core particles and the precursor are preferably mixed at a ratio of 80% by mass: 20% by mass to 99% by mass: 1% by mass, more preferably 87% by mass: 13% by mass to 97% by mass: 3% by mass. When mixing, any method of dry mixing and wet mixing can be used. As the dry mixing means, for example, a mixer such as a ball mill, a bead mill, or a planetary ball mill can be used. In wet mixing, in addition to a mixer such as a ball mill, a bead mill, or a planetary ball mill, a dryer such as a spray dryer can be used. Can be used. Moreover, you may make it adhere uniformly using a binder, a coupling agent, etc.

In the heating step, the primary particles or secondary particles of the positive electrode active material core particles to which the precursor is attached are subjected to heat treatment, so that the precursor is dissolved in the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles. By this solid solution, an element concentration difference is formed between the surface layer and the center of the obtained positive electrode active material particles. The temperature of the heat treatment is preferably equal to or lower than the main firing temperature when the positive electrode active material core particles are produced, and is 500 ° C. or higher and 1100 ° C. or lower, preferably 700 ° C. or higher and 1000 ° C. or lower. The heat treatment time is 0.1 hour to 10 hours, preferably 0.5 hour to 5 hours. The atmosphere for the heat treatment may be either an inert gas atmosphere or an oxidizing gas atmosphere.

The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery produced as described above is used as a material for a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery.

The positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment is mainly coated with a positive electrode mixture layer comprising a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, a conductive material and a binder, and a positive electrode mixture layer. A positive electrode current collector.

As the conductive material, a conductive material used in a general lithium ion secondary battery can be used. Specific examples include carbon particles such as graphite powder, acetylene black, furnace black, thermal black, and channel black, carbon fibers, and the like. What is necessary is just to use the quantity used as a electrically conductive material about 3 mass% or more and 10 mass% or less with respect to the mass of the whole positive electrode compound material layer, for example.

As the binder, a binder used in a general lithium ion secondary battery can be used. Specific examples include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene, polyhexafluoropropylene, styrene-butadiene rubber, and carboxymethylcellulose. What is necessary is just to use the quantity used as a binder about 2 mass% or more and 10 mass% or less with respect to the mass of the whole positive electrode compound material layer, for example.

As the positive electrode current collector, foil made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, expanded metal, punching metal, or the like can be used. About foil, what is necessary is just to set it as the thickness of about 8 micrometers or more and 20 micrometers or less, for example.

The positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment can be manufactured according to a general positive electrode manufacturing method using the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery. An example of a method for producing a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes a positive electrode mixture preparation step, a positive electrode mixture coating step, and a molding step.

In the positive electrode mixture preparation step, a positive electrode active material, a conductive material, and a binder are mixed in a solvent to prepare a slurry-like positive electrode mixture. Solvents include N-methylpyrrolidone, water, N, N-dimethylformamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, glycerin, dimethyl, depending on the type of binder. It can be selected from sulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran and the like. Examples of the stirring means for mixing the materials include a planetary mixer, a disper mixer, and a rotation / revolution mixer.

In the positive electrode mixture coating step, the prepared slurry-like positive electrode mixture is applied on the positive electrode current collector, and then the solvent is dried by heat treatment to form a positive electrode mixture layer. Examples of the coating means for applying the positive electrode mixture include a bar coater, a doctor blade, and a roll transfer machine.

In the molding step, the dried positive electrode mixture layer is subjected to pressure molding using a roll press or the like, and is cut together with a positive electrode current collector as necessary to obtain a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery having a desired shape. . The thickness of the positive electrode mixture layer formed on the positive electrode current collector may be, for example, about 50 μm to 300 μm.

The positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery manufactured as described above is used as a material for a lithium ion secondary battery. The lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment mainly includes a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, a negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, which are cylindrical, rectangular, It is set as the structure accommodated in exterior bodies of shapes, such as a button type | mold and a laminate sheet type | mold.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates a cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery. The lithium ion secondary battery 10 includes a positive electrode 1 having a positive electrode mixture coated on both surfaces of a positive electrode current collector, and a negative electrode current collector. The electrode group which consists of the negative electrode 2 by which the negative electrode compound material was coated on both surfaces of this, and the separator 3 interposed between the positive electrode 1 and the negative electrode 2 is provided. The positive electrode 1 and the negative electrode 2 are wound through a separator 3 and accommodated in a cylindrical battery can 4. The positive electrode 1 is electrically connected to the sealing lid 6 via the positive electrode lead piece 7, and the negative electrode 2 is electrically connected to the battery can 4 via the negative electrode lead piece 5, and the positive electrode lead piece 7 and the negative electrode 2. Between the negative electrode lead piece 5 and the positive electrode 1, an insulating plate 9 made of an epoxy resin or the like is disposed to be electrically insulated. Each lead piece is a current drawing member made of the same material as each current collector, and is joined to each current collector by spot welding or ultrasonic welding. The battery can 4 has a structure in which a nonaqueous electrolyte is injected into the battery can 4 and then sealed with a sealing material 8 such as rubber and the top is sealed with a sealing lid 6.

As the negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode current collector used in a general lithium ion secondary battery can be used.

As the negative electrode active material, for example, one or more of carbon materials, metal materials, metal oxide materials, and the like can be used. Examples of the carbon material include graphites such as natural graphite and artificial graphite, carbides such as coke and pitch, amorphous carbon, and carbon fibers. Examples of the metal material include lithium, silicon, tin, aluminum, indium, gallium, magnesium, and alloys thereof, and examples of the metal oxide material include metal oxides including tin, silicon, and the like.

The negative electrode for lithium ion secondary battery may be selected from the same group as the binder and conductive material used in the positive electrode for lithium ion secondary battery, if necessary. What is necessary is just to use the quantity used as a binder about 5 mass% with respect to the mass of the whole negative electrode compound material layer, for example.

As the negative electrode current collector, copper or nickel foil, expanded metal, punching metal, or the like can be used. The foil may have a thickness of about 5 μm to 20 μm, for example.

A negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery is coated with a negative electrode mixture obtained by mixing a negative electrode active material and a binder on a negative electrode current collector, and pressure-molded, as with a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery. It is manufactured by cutting according to. The thickness of the negative electrode mixture layer formed on the negative electrode current collector may be, for example, about 20 μm to 150 μm.

As the separator, a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and a polyethylene-polypropylene copolymer, a microporous film such as a polyamide resin and an aramid resin, a nonwoven fabric, and the like can be used.

Non-aqueous electrolytes include LiClO ₄ , LiPF ₆ , LiBF ₄ , LiAsF ₆ , LiSbF ₆ , LiCF ₃ SO ₃ , LiC ₄ F ₉ SO ₃ , LiCF ₃ CO ₂ , Li ₂ C ₂ F ₄ (SO ₃ ) _2. A solution in which a lithium salt such as LiN (CF ₃ SO ₂ ) ₂ or LiC (CF ₃ SO ₂ ) ₃ is dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent can be used. The concentration of the lithium salt in the non-aqueous electrolyte is preferably 0.7M or more and 1.5M or less.

As the non-aqueous solvent, diethyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, vinylene carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, methyl propyl carbonate, methyl acetate, dimethoxyethane and the like can be used. In addition, various additives should be added to the non-aqueous electrolyte for the purpose of suppressing oxidative decomposition and reductive decomposition of the electrolytic solution, preventing precipitation of metal elements, improving ion conductivity, and improving flame retardancy. Can do. Examples of such additives include 1,3-propane sultone and 1,4-butane sultone that suppress decomposition of the electrolyte, insoluble polyadipic anhydride that improves the storage stability of the electrolyte, and hexahydrophthalic anhydride. Examples include acids and the like, and fluorine-substituted alkylborons that improve flame retardancy.

The lithium ion secondary battery according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration is, for example, for stationary power sources such as portable electronic devices and household electrical devices, power storage devices, uninterruptible power supply devices, power leveling devices, and the like. It can be used as a power source or a driving power source for ships, railways, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles and the like.

Hereinafter, although an Example and a comparative example are shown and this invention is demonstrated concretely, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to this.

[Example 1]
The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 1 was manufactured according to the following procedure. First, the raw material lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate are mixed so that Li: Ni: Co: Mn has a molar concentration ratio of 1.03: 0.80: 0.10: 0.10. Weighed, wet pulverized and mixed to prepare raw material powder. The obtained raw material powder was dried and then put into a high-purity alumina container, and pre-baked at 650 ° C. for 12 hours in an oxygen stream. The obtained calcined body was air-cooled and crushed, and then charged again into a high-purity alumina container, followed by main firing at 850 ° C. for 8 hours under an oxygen stream. And the obtained sintered body was air-cooled, crushed and classified.

When the elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material core particle was conducted, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.00: 0.80: 0.10: 0.10. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ .

Next, a precursor to be attached to the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles was manufactured. First, raw material lithium carbonate and manganese carbonate were weighed so that Li: Mn was a molar concentration ratio of 2.02: 1.0, and these were wet pulverized and mixed to prepare a raw material powder. After drying the obtained raw material powder, it was put into a high-purity alumina container and heat-treated at 700 ° C. for 12 hours in the atmosphere. And the obtained sintered body was air-cooled and crushed.

When elemental analysis of the obtained precursor particles was performed, Li: Mn was 2.00: 1.0. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li ₂ MnO ₃ .

Next, 90 g of the positive electrode active material core particles and 10 g of the precursor particles were weighed and mixed, and then the solution was spray-dried to attach the precursor particles to the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles. Subsequently, the obtained particles were put into a high-purity alumina container and heat-treated at 850 ° C. for 1 hour under an oxygen stream to produce a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.18. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.18 O ₂ .

Next, the crystal structure of the positive electrode active material was analyzed. As a result of measurement using an X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku, RINTIII) and CuKα rays, a peak of a layered structure belonging to R3-m was confirmed.

Also, the average particle size of the positive electrode active material was calculated. Observation using an SEM (manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies, S-4300) at an acceleration voltage of 5 kV and a magnification of 10 k, and calculating the average particle size of 10 particles, the average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. there were.

The surface layer and the center Li / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material were measured using GD-OES (manufactured by Horiba, Ltd., GD-PROFILER 2) in a gas pressure of 500 Pa, an output of 35 W, and a pulse mode. The measurement results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center of the positive electrode active material was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer.

Next, elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center of the positive electrode active material was performed. The manufactured positive electrode active material sample was sliced by argon ion etching using a polishing machine (manufactured by Gatan, model 600) and subjected to elemental analysis. Elemental analysis, such as the concentration distribution of atoms in the surface layer, is carried out by using a field emission transmission electron microscope (manufactured by Hitachi, HF-2000 (hereinafter, referred to as EELS) (manufactured by Gatan, Enfina)). , Abbreviated as TEM))) and measured at an acceleration voltage of 200 kV. In addition to this, the element distribution is confirmed by TEM-EDS combining TEM and X-ray analyzer (EDS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), etc. It is possible.

The results of elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center are shown in FIG. The (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio (atomic ratio) is about 0.45 in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm, and is about 0.50 in the region beyond the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface. The surface layer was confirmed to have a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center. The reason why the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio in the region from the outermost surface to a depth of 60 nm is about 0.45 is that oxygen is almost uniformly depleted from the precursor Li ₂ MnO ₃ attached to the core particles. it is conceivable that. Note that FIG. 5 does not show the result of elemental analysis at the center of the positive electrode active material (at a distance of 300 nm from the outermost surface), but the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio is constant in a region exceeding a depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface. Therefore, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio at the center is estimated to be about 0.50.

Next, a lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery was manufactured. The shape of the lithium ion secondary battery was a cylindrical 18650 type battery having a diameter of 18 mm and a height of 650 mm.

First, 90 parts by mass of the obtained positive electrode active material, 6 parts by mass of a conductive material, and 4 parts by mass of a binder are mixed in a solvent, and stirred for 3 hours using a planetary mixer. Prepared. The conductive material was carbon particle powder, the binder was polyvinylidene fluoride, and the solvent was N-methylpyrrolidone. Then, after apply | coating the obtained positive electrode compound material on both surfaces of the positive electrode electrical power collector which is 20-micrometer-thick aluminum foil using a roll transcription | transfer machine, compound material layer density is 2 using a roll press. The pressure was adjusted to 60 g / cm ³ and cutting was performed to obtain a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery.

In addition, 95 parts by mass of a negative electrode active material and 5 parts by mass of a binder were mixed in a solvent, and stirred for 30 minutes using a slurry mixer to prepare a negative electrode mixture. Note that graphite was used as the negative electrode active material, polyvinylidene fluoride was used as the binder, and N-methylpyrrolidone was used as the solvent. Subsequently, the obtained negative electrode mixture was applied to both surfaces of a negative electrode current collector, which was a copper foil having a thickness of 10 μm, using a roll transfer machine, and then pressed and cut using a roll press, and lithium lithium A negative electrode for an ion secondary battery was obtained.

The obtained positive and negative electrodes were each joined by ultrasonic welding, and then wound into a cylindrical shape with a porous polyethylene film sandwiched between the electrodes, and each lead piece was sealed in a battery can After each connection to the lid, the battery can and the sealing lid were joined and sealed by laser welding. Thereafter, a non-aqueous electrolyte was injected into the battery can from the injection port to obtain a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 1.

Next, the manufactured lithium ion secondary battery was subjected to a charge / discharge test to evaluate the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics. The charge / discharge test was performed at an environmental temperature of 25 ° C.

The discharge capacity characteristics were obtained by the following procedure. The charge / discharge conditions are a constant current and low voltage charge up to an upper limit voltage of 4.5V at a current equivalent to 0.2C for charging, and a constant current equivalent to 0.2C after resting for 30 minutes after charging. The discharge was set to a lower limit voltage of 3.0V. This charge / discharge cycle was repeated two times in total. Then, the 0.2C discharge capacity at the second cycle was a value per weight of the positive electrode active material, and the discharge capacity characteristics were evaluated based on this value.

The charge / discharge cycle characteristics were determined by the following procedure. After evaluating the discharge capacity characteristics, the battery was charged at a constant current and low voltage up to an upper limit voltage of 4.5 V with a current corresponding to 1 C, and after a pause of 10 minutes, the battery was discharged to a lower limit voltage of 3.0 V with a constant current equivalent to 1.0 C. This charge / discharge cycle was repeated for a total of 99 cycles, and then charged at a constant current and low voltage up to an upper limit voltage of 4.5 V at a current equivalent to 0.2 C. After a 30-minute pause, the lower limit voltage 3 at a constant current equivalent to 0.2 C Discharged to 0V. Then, the fraction of the 0.2C discharge capacity at the 100th cycle with respect to the discharge capacity characteristics was calculated as the cycle capacity maintenance ratio, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated.

As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 1 was 212 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 92%.

[Example 2]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 2 was produced by the following procedure. First, in the same procedure as in Example 1, the positive electrode active material core particles whose element composition is Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ and the element composition is Li ₂ MnO ₃ A precursor was made. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 2 was manufactured in the same procedure as in Example 1, except that 95 g of the positive electrode active material core particles and 5 g of the precursor particles were weighed.

Upon elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.02: 0.74: 0.09: 0.14. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.02 Ni _0.74 Co _0.09 Mn _0.14 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 2 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 2 provided with the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was produced, and the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 2 was 217 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 88%.

[Example 3]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 3 was produced by the following procedure. First, in the same procedure as in Example 1, the positive electrode active material core particles whose element composition is Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ and the element composition is Li ₂ MnO ₃ A precursor was made. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 3 was manufactured in the same procedure as in Example 1, except that 85 g of the positive electrode active material core particles and 15 g of the precursor particles were weighed.

When elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles was conducted, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.07: 0.63: 0.08: 0.22. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.07 Ni _0.63 Co _0.08 Mn _0.22 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 3 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 3 provided with a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 3 was 205 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 95%.

[Example 4]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 4 was produced by the following procedure. First, the raw materials lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate are mixed so that Li: Ni: Co: Mn has a molar concentration ratio of 0.98: 0.80: 0.10: 0.10. A positive electrode active material core particle having an element composition of Li _0.96 Ni _0.84 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1 except for the points weighed. . Also, elemental composition was prepared precursor is _Li 2 MnO _3.

Next, except that the main firing temperature when producing the positive electrode active material core particles was 800 ° C. and the heat treatment after the precursor was attached to the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles was 800 ° C. The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 4 was manufactured in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.01: 0.72: 0.09: 0.18. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.01 Ni _0.72 Co _0.09 Mn _0.18 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.3 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 4 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 30 nm. It was 0.46, and in the region exceeding 45 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was about 0.52, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 4 provided with a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was produced, and the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 4 was 201 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 92%.

[Example 5]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 5 was produced by the following procedure. First, the raw materials lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate are mixed such that Li: Ni: Co: Mn has a molar concentration ratio of 1.11: 0.80: 0.10: 0.10. A positive electrode active material core particle having an element composition of Li _1.07 Ni _0.75 Co _0.09 Mn _0.09 O ₂ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1 except for the points weighed. Also, elemental composition was prepared precursor is _Li 2 MnO _3.

Next, except that the main firing temperature at the time of preparing the positive electrode active material core particles is 900 ° C. and the heat treatment after the precursor is attached to the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles is 900 ° C. The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 5 was manufactured in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.11: 0.64: 0.08: 0.17. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.11 Ni _0.64 Co _0.08 Mn _0.17 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 1.2 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 5 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 120 nm. It was 0.44, and in the region exceeding the depth of 180 nm from the outermost surface, it was about 0.47, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 5 including the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 5 was 200 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 96%.

[Example 6]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 6 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium carbonate and titanium dioxide as precursor materials were measured in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that Li: Ti was weighed so that the molar concentration ratio was 2.01: 1.0. A precursor having an elemental composition of Li ₂ TiO ₃ was prepared. Further, in the same manner as in Example 1, the elemental composition was prepared positive electrode active material core particles is _{_{_{_{Li 1.0 Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1}}}} O 2. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 6 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When the elemental analysis of the particle | grains of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Ti was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.09: 0.10. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.09 Ti _0.10 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Ti) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 6 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn + Ti) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 6 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 6 was 206 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 92%.

[Example 7]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 7 was produced by the following procedure. First, the same procedure as in Example 1 was performed except that lithium carbonate and zirconium dioxide as precursor raw materials were weighed so that Li: Zr was 2.01: 1.0 in terms of molar concentration ratio. , elemental composition was prepared precursor is _Li 2 ZrO _3. Further, in the same manner as in Example 1, the elemental composition was prepared positive electrode active material core particles is _{_{_{_{Li 1.0 Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1}}}} O 2. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 7 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Zr was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.09: 0.10. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.09 Zr _0.10 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of conducting the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Zr) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 7 is approximately in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, 0.50 in the region exceeding the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn + Zr) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 7 provided with a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 7 was 195 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 94%.

[Example 8]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 8 was produced by the following procedure. First, the same procedure as in Example 1 except that lithium carbonate and molybdenum trioxide as raw materials of the precursor were weighed so that Li: Mo was 2.01: 1.0 in terms of molar concentration ratio. in elemental composition to prepare a precursor is _Li 2 MoO _3. Further, in the same manner as in Example 1, the elemental composition was prepared positive electrode active material core particles is _{_{_{_{Li 1.0 Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1}}}} O 2. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 8 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When the elemental analysis of the particle | grains of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Mo was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.09: 0.10. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.09 Mo _0.10 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Mo) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 8 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and it was 0.50 in the region exceeding the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn + Mo) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 8 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 8 was 208 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 91%.

[Example 9]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 9 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium precursor and niobium pentoxide as precursor raw materials were the same as in Example 1 except that Li: Nb was weighed so that the molar concentration ratio was 2.01: 1.0. By the procedure, a precursor having an element composition of Li ₂ NbO ₃ was produced. Further, in the same manner as in Example 1, the elemental composition was prepared positive electrode active material core particles is _{_{_{_{Li 1.0 Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1}}}} O 2. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 9 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Nb was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.09: 0.10. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.09 Nb _0.10 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Nb) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 9 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, 0.50 in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn + Nb) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 9 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 9 was 206 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 90%.

[Example 10]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 10 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, manganese carbonate, and magnesium oxide, which are raw materials for the positive electrode active material, are Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Mg in a molar concentration ratio of 1.03: 0.80: 0. The element composition was Li _1.00 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.08 Mg _{0 in} the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the weight was adjusted to 10: 0.08: 0.02. _Positive electrode active material core particles that were _0.02 O ₂ were prepared. A precursor having an element composition of Li ₂ MnO ₃ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 10 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Mg was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.16: 0.02. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.16 Mg _0.02 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Mg) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 10 was about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, 0.50 in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn + Mg) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 10 including the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 10 was 210 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 92%.

[Example 11]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 11 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, manganese carbonate, and aluminum oxide, which are raw materials for the positive electrode active material, are Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Al in a molar concentration ratio of 1.03: 0.80: 0. The element composition was Li _1.00 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.05 Al _{0 in} the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the weight was adjusted to 10: 0.05: 0.05. _Positive electrode active material core particles of _.05 O ₂ were prepared. A precursor having an element composition of Li ₂ MnO ₃ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 11 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Al was 1.05: 0.69: 0.09: 0.14: 0.04. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.14 Al _0.04 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Al) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 11 was about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn + Al) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 11 including the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 11 was 198 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 94%.

[Example 12]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 12 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate, which are raw materials for the positive electrode active material, have a molar concentration ratio of Li: Ni: Co: Mn of 1.03: 0.70: 0.20: 0.10. A positive electrode active material core particle having an element composition of Li _1.00 Ni _0.7 Co _0.2 Mn _0.1 O ₂ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the weight was measured so that did. A precursor having an element composition of Li ₂ MnO ₃ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 12 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

Upon elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.05: 0.60: 0.17: 0.18. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.60 Co _0.17 Mn _0.18 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 12 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 12 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 12 was 212 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 92%.

[Example 13]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 13 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate as raw materials for the positive electrode active material are mixed in a molar ratio of Li: Ni: Co: Mn of 1.03: 0.60: 0.20: 0.20. A positive electrode active material core particle having an element composition of Li _1.00 Ni _0.6 Co _0.2 Mn _0.2 O ₂ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the weight was measured so that did. A precursor having an element composition of Li ₂ MnO ₃ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 13 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.05: 0.51: 0.17: 0.27. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.51 Co _0.17 Mn _0.27 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 13 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 13 including the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 13 was 203 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 93%.

[Example 14]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 14 was produced by the following procedure. First, lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate, which are raw materials for the positive electrode active material, have a molar concentration ratio of Li: Ni: Co: Mn of 1.03: 0.50: 0.20: 0.30. A positive electrode active material core particle having an element composition of Li _1.00 Ni _0.5 Co _0.2 Mn _0.3 O ₂ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the weight was measured so that did. A precursor having an element composition of Li ₂ MnO ₃ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 14 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

Upon elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.05: 0.43: 0.17: 0.35. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.05 Ni _0.43 Co _0.17 Mn _0.35 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 14 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.45, and in the region exceeding 90 nm in depth from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 14 including the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 14 was 190 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 94%.

[Example 15]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 15 was produced by the following procedure. First, except that lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, and manganese carbonate as raw materials of the precursor were weighed so that Li: Ni: Mn was 1.22: 0.2: 0.6 in terms of molar concentration ratio. In the same procedure as in Example 1, a precursor having an element composition of Li _1.2 Ni _0.2 Mn _0.6 O ₂ was produced. Further, in the same manner as in Example 1, the elemental composition was prepared positive electrode active material core particles is _{_{_{_{Li 1.0 Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1}}}} O 2. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 15 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.02: 0.74: 0.09: 0.15. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.02 Ni _0.74 Co _0.09 Mn _0.15 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center and the Li / O concentration ratio at the surface layer were as shown in Table 1. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 15 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.47, and in the region exceeding the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 15 including the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 15 was 206 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 86%.

[Example 16]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 16 was produced by the following procedure. First, the precursor raw materials lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate are Li: Ni: Co: Mn at a molar concentration ratio of 1.22: 0.13: 0.13: 0.54. A precursor having an elemental composition of Li _1.2 Ni _0.13 Co _0.13 Mn _0.54 O ₂ was prepared in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the _weight was so measured. In addition, positive electrode active material core particles having an element composition of Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ were produced in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 16 was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1.

When elemental analysis of the particles of the obtained positive electrode active material was performed, Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.02: 0.73: 0.10: 0.14. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _1.02 Ni _0.73 Co _0.10 Mn _0.14 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center and the Li / O concentration ratio at the surface layer were as shown in Table 1. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the primary particles was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 16 was about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. It was 0.47, and in the region exceeding the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface, it was 0.50, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 16 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 16 was 210 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 85%.

[Example 17]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 17 was produced by the following procedure. First, the element composition is Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn in the same procedure as in Example 1, except that a step of spray drying the raw material powder with a spray dryer to form secondary particles is added. _Positive electrode active material core particles of _0.1 O ₂ were prepared. Also, elemental composition was prepared precursor is _Li 2 MnO _3. Next, the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 17 was subjected to the same procedure as in Example 1 except that 95 g of the positive electrode active material core particles and 5 g of the precursor particles were weighed. The material was manufactured.

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center was smaller than the Li / O concentration ratio of the surface layer. As a result of analyzing the crystal structure of the obtained positive electrode active material, the peak of the layered structure attributed to R3-m was confirmed. The average particle size of the secondary particles was 20 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center of the secondary particles, the (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 17 is from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. Is about 0.45 in the region, and 0.50 in the region exceeding the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface, and the surface layer of the secondary particles has a lower (Ni + Co + Mn) / O concentration ratio than the center. It was confirmed.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 17 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Example 17 was 215 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 87%.

[Comparative Example 1]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 1 was produced by the following procedure. In addition, the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 1 has the same composition as the positive electrode active material core particles before attaching the precursor in Example 1, and (M1 + M2) at the surface layer and the center of the particles It consists of particles with no difference in the / O concentration ratio.

First, positive electrode active material core particles having an element composition of Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ were produced in the same procedure as in Example 1. The obtained core particles were used as the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 1 without performing the adhesion of the precursor and the heat treatment.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 1 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 1 was 215 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 75%.

[Comparative Example 2]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 2 was produced by the following procedure. In addition, the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 2 has the same composition as the positive electrode active material obtained by attaching the precursor in Example 1 and heat treatment, and in the surface layer and the center of the particle It consists of particles with no difference in (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio.

First, raw material lithium carbonate, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, and manganese carbonate were weighed so that Li: Ni: Co: Mn was 1.07: 0.69: 0.09: 0.18 in terms of molar concentration ratio. Except for the above points, positive electrode active material particles having an element composition of Li _1.05 Ni _0.69 Co _0.09 Mn _0.18 O ₂ were produced in the same procedure as in Example 1. About the obtained particle | grains, it was set as the positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries which concerns on the comparative example 2, without performing adhesion of a precursor and heat processing.

Next, in the same procedure as in Example 1, a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 2 including a positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material was manufactured, and discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 2 was 202 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 77%.

[Comparative Example 3]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 3 was produced by the following procedure. In addition, the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 3 is composed of particles obtained by coating the surface of the positive electrode active material core particles before attaching the precursor in Example 1 with Al ₂ O ₃ .

First, positive electrode active material core particles having an element composition of Li _1.0 Ni _0.8 Co _0.1 Mn _0.1 O ₂ were produced in the same procedure as in Example 1. Next, 90 g of the positive electrode active material core particles and 10 g of Al ₂ O ₃ particles are weighed and wet-mixed, and then the solution is spray-dried so that Al ₂ O ₃ particles are placed on the surfaces of the positive electrode active material core particles. Attached. Subsequently, the obtained particles were put into a high-purity alumina container and heat-treated at 850 ° C. for 1 hour under an oxygen stream to obtain a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 3.

Elemental analysis of the obtained positive electrode active material particles revealed that Li: Ni: Co: Mn: Al was 0.86: 0.43: 0.17: 0.26: 0.19. Therefore, the elemental composition is estimated to be Li _0.86 Ni _0.43 Co _0.17 Mn _0.26 Al _0.19 O ₂ .

When the Li / O concentration ratio between the center of the positive electrode active material and the surface layer was measured in the same manner as in Example 1, the Li / O concentration ratio at the center and the Li / O concentration ratio at the surface layer were as shown in Table 1. The average particle diameter of the obtained positive electrode active material was 0.6 μm. As a result of the elemental analysis of the surface layer and the center, the (Ni + Co + Mn + Al) / O concentration ratio of the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 3 is about in the region from the outermost surface of the positive electrode active material to a depth of 60 nm. 0.55 in the region exceeding the depth of 90 nm from the outermost surface, and it was confirmed that the surface layer had a higher (Ni + Co + Mn + Al) / O concentration ratio than the center.

And the lithium ion secondary battery which concerns on the comparative example 3 provided with the positive electrode containing the obtained positive electrode active material in the same procedure as Example 1 was manufactured, and the discharge capacity characteristic and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic were evaluated. As a result, the discharge capacity characteristic of the lithium ion secondary battery according to Comparative Example 3 was 160 Ah / kg, and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic was 88%.

Table 1 shows the discharge capacity characteristics (Ah / kg) and charge / discharge cycle characteristics (%) in the lithium ion secondary batteries according to Examples 1 to 17 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 described above. It shows with a composition of the positive electrode active material for batteries, and (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the surface layer and the center. In Table 1, “-” indicates that it is not contained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics of the lithium ion secondary batteries according to Examples and Comparative Examples. As shown in FIG. 6, the lithium ion secondary batteries according to Examples 1 to 17 have both excellent discharge capacity characteristics and charge / discharge cycle characteristics, and have excellent characteristics. On the other hand, in the lithium ion secondary batteries according to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, at least one of the discharge capacity characteristic and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic does not reach the example, and both the good discharge capacity characteristic and the charge / discharge cycle characteristic are compatible. Not.

In particular, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in which the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio has no difference between the surface layer and the center showed relatively high discharge capacity characteristics as shown in Table 1, but the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were 75 to 77. % Was low. On the other hand, in Example 1 having the same composition as Comparative Example 2, both the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were improved by lowering the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the surface layer compared to the center. It had been. Similarly, in Examples 2 to 17 in which the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio was lower in the surface layer than in the center, the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics showed an improvement trend.

Further, Comparative Example 3 in which the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio was higher in the surface layer than in the center showed relatively high charge / discharge cycle characteristics but low discharge capacity characteristics. In Comparative Example 3, it is possible to suppress the progress of oxidative decomposition of the electrolytic solution due to the contact between the transition metal, which becomes an unstable charge state at the time of charging, and the electrolytic solution by disposing a large amount of typical metal Al on the surface layer. On the other hand, it is considered that the ratio of Li and transition metal contributing to charging / discharging is lowered, and the discharge capacity characteristics are lowered. On the other hand, in Example 1 in which the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio was lower in the surface layer than in the center, both the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics were improved. Therefore, lowering the (M1 + M2) / O concentration ratio in the surface layer compared to the center means that there is no reduction in the discharge capacity of the positive electrode active material, and the transition metal and electrolyte solution that are in an unstable charge state during charging. It was confirmed that the progress of the oxidative decomposition of the electrolytic solution due to contact can be suppressed, and it contributed to the improvement of the discharge capacity characteristics and the charge / discharge cycle characteristics.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, with respect to a part of the configuration of the embodiment, it is possible to add, delete, or replace another configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Positive electrode 2 Negative electrode 3 Separator 4 Battery can 5 Negative electrode lead piece 6 Sealing lid 7 Positive electrode lead piece 8 Sealing material 9 Insulating plate 10 Lithium ion

secondary battery

100A, 100B, 100C Positive electrode

active material

110A, 110B for lithium ion secondary batteries,

110C Center

120A, 120B, 120C Surface layer

All publications, patents and patent applications cited in this specification shall be incorporated into this specification as they are.

Claims

The following composition formula (1)
Li 1 + x M1 1-xy M2 y O 2 (1)
[Wherein x is −0.1 ≦ x ≦ 0.3, y is 0 ≦ y ≦ 0.1, and M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, and Mn. M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb. ]
A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery comprising primary particles having a structure represented by: or secondary particles in which the primary particles are aggregated,
The lithium ion secondary in which (M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particle or secondary particle is higher than (M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) in the surface layer of the primary particle or secondary particle Positive electrode active material for batteries.
The composition formula (1) is the following composition formula (2)
Li 1 + x Ni 1-xy-ab Co a Mn b M2 y O 2 (2)
[Wherein x is −0.1 ≦ x ≦ 0.3, y is 0 ≦ y ≦ 0.1, a is 0 ≦ a ≦ 0.3, and b is 0 <b ≦ 0. 3 and M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Mo and Nb. ]
The positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries of Claim 1 represented by these.
In the center of the primary particle or the secondary particle, x is −0.05 ≦ x ≦ 0.05, and in the surface layer of the primary particle or the secondary particle, x is 0.07 ≦ x ≦ 0.25. The positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries according to claim 1 or 2.
The Li / O (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particle or the secondary particle is lower than the Li / O (atomic ratio) in the surface layer of the primary particle or the secondary particle. The positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries as described.
(M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particle or secondary particle is 0.01 or more higher than (M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) in the surface layer of the primary particle or secondary particle. Item 5. The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to any one of Items 1 to 4.
6. The positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein (M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) at the center of the primary particle or the secondary particle is 0.49 or more and 0.51 or less. Active material.
The positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein (M1 + M2) / O (atomic ratio) in a surface layer of the primary particles or the secondary particles is 0.43 or more and 0.48 or less. Active material.
The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an average particle size of the primary particles is 0.1 µm to 2 µm.
A positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery comprising the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
A lithium ion secondary battery comprising the positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery according to claim 9.