Positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery, secondary battery employing the same, and process for producing positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery

1. A positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery, which comprises secondary particle of a lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth, and wherein the atomic ratio of the sum of boron and bismuth to the sum of the metallic elements other than lithium, boron, and bismuth in a surface part of the secondary particle is 8 times or more the atomic ratio in the whole secondary particle;

wherein the lithium/transition metal compound containing boron and/or bismuth is one represented by the following formula (1):

Li x M y Bi v B w O 2   (1)

wherein M represents at least one element selected from transition metals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, halogen elements, and chalcogen elements; and x, y, v, and w respectively represent numbers satisfying the relationships 0<x≦1.2, 0.9≦y≦1.1, and 0≦v≦0.1, and 0≦w≦0.1 (provided that at least one of v and w is not 0).

2. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth contains excess lithium based on the stoichiometric proportion thereof in the lithium/transition metal composite oxide, and wherein the atomic ratio (b/a) between the excess lithium based on the stoichiometric proportion (a) and the sum of boron and bismuth (b) is from 0.1 to 5.

3. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the lithium/transition metal compound containing boron and/or bismuth is one represented by the following formula (2):

Li x M 1 y1 M 2 y2 Bi v B w O 2   (2)

wherein M 1 represents at least one element selected from Ni, Mn, and Co; M 2 represents at least one element selected from Ni, Mn, Co, Al, Fe, Ga, Sn, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mg, Ti, Ge, Nb, Ta, Zr, and Ca; and x, y1, y2, v, and w respectively represent numbers satisfying the relationships 0<x≦1.2, 0<y1, 0≦y2, 0.9≦y1+y2≦1.1, 0≦v≦0.1, and 0≦w≦0.1 (provided that at least one of v and w is not 0).

4. The positive-electrode material for the secondary lithium battery according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth is one represented by the following formula (3):

Li x Ni α Mn β Q (1-α-β) Bi v B w O 2   (3)

wherein Q represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Fe, Ga, Sn, V, Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Mg, Ti, Ge, Nb, Ta, Zr, and Ca; and x, α, β, v, and w respectively represent numbers satisfying the relationships 0<x≦1.2, 0.7≦α/β≦9, 0≦(1-α-β)≦0.5, 0≦v≦0.1, and 0≦w≦0.1 (provided that at least one of v and w is not 0).

5. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein α satisfies 0.3≦α≦0.8.

6. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein β satisfies 0.05≦β≦0.6.

7. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the secondary particle of a lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth has a specific surface area of from 0.1 m 2 /g to 8 m 2 /g.

8. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the secondary particle of a lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth has a tap density of from 0.8 g/cm 3 to 3.0 g/cm 3 .

9. The positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the secondary particle of a lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth has an average particle diameter of from 1 μm to 50 μm.

10. A positive electrode for lithium secondary battery, which comprises the positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2 and a binder.

11. A lithium secondary battery, which comprises the positive electrode for lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , a negative electrode, and an electrolyte.

12. A process for producing the positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a raw-material mixture which comprises compounds containing the metallic elements to be components of the target lithium/transition metal composite oxide and further containing boron and/or bismuth is formed into particles and this molding is burned at a temperature higher than the melting points of the boron compound and bismuth compound used as raw materials to thereby yield secondary particle of the lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth.

13. The process for producing a positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 12 , wherein the burning is conducted in an atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of from 10 to 80% by volume.

14. The process for producing a positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 12 , wherein the boron source comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of boric acid, boron, boron halides, boron carbide, boron nitride, boron oxide, organic complexes of boron halides, organoboron compounds, alkylboric acids, and boranes.

15. The process for producing a positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery according to claim 12 , wherein the bismuth source comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of bismuth metal, bismuth oxides, bismuth halides, bismuth carbide, bismuth nitride, bismuth hydroxide, bismuth chalcogenides, bismuth sulfate, bismuth nitrate, and organobismuth compounds.