POROUS NETWORK NEGATIVE ELECTRODES FOR NON-AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE SECONDARY BATTERY

1 . An electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the electrode comprising:

a current collector; and

a mixture comprising an electrode active material, a conductive material, and a binder on the current collector;

in which:

the electrode active material comprises a porous oxide, in which the porous oxide comprises a lithium absorbing nano-material.

2 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the nano-material is a nano-dimensional material, a nanoparticle, or a nanotube.

3 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the lithium absorbing nano-material comprises tin, silicon, or aluminum in the porous oxide.

4 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous oxide is a metal or non-metal oxide.

5 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous oxide is a mesoporous network of titanium dioxide and the lithium absorbing nano-material is nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprising tin nanoparticles or silicon nanoparticles.

6 . An electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the electrode comprising:

a current collector; and

a mixture comprising an electrode active material, a conductive material, and a binder on the current collector;

in which:

the electrode active material comprises a porous network of an oxide, in which the porous network comprises nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material.

7 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material is selected from the group consisting of tin nanoparticles, silicon nanoparticles, and aluminum nanoparticles.

8 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise tin nanoparticles.

9 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise silicon nanoparticles.

10 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticles are partially amorphous.

11 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the porous network further comprises amorphous carbon.

12 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the porous network is a mesoporous network.

13 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the electrode active material further comprises carbon nanotubes.

14 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the electrode active material additionally comprises absorbed lithium.

15 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the porous network of the oxide is a porous network of titanium dioxide.

16 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the electrode active material comprises a mesoporous network of titanium dioxide and the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise tin nanoparticles or silicon nanoparticles.

17 . A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising:

a positive electrode;

a negative electrode; and

a non-aqueous electrolyte between the positive electrode and the negative electrode;

in which:

the non-aqueous electrolyte comprises a non-aqueous solvent and lithium salt;

the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode current collector, and, on the positive electrode current collector, a mixture comprising a positive electrode active material, a first conductive material, and a first binder;

the negative electrode comprises a negative electrode current collector, and, on the negative electrode current collector, a mixture comprising a negative electrode active material, a second conductive material, and a second binder; and

either the negative electrode active material or the positive electrode active material comprises a porous network of an oxide, in which the porous network comprises nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material.

18 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material is selected from the group consisting of tin nanoparticles, silicon nanoparticles, and aluminum nanoparticles.

19 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 18 , wherein the tin nanoparticles, silicon nanoparticles, or aluminum nanoparticles comprise absorbed lithium.

20 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the positive electrode active material comprises the porous network.

21 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 20 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise tin nanoparticles.

22 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 20 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise silicon nanoparticles.

23 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the negative electrode active material comprises the porous network.

24 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 23 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise tin nanoparticles.

25 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 23 , wherein the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise silicon nanoparticles.

26 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the porous network is a mesoporous network

27 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the porous network is a macroporous network.

28 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the electrode active material further comprises carbon nanotubes.

29 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein the porous network is a mesoporous network of titanium dioxide and the nanoparticles of a lithium absorbing material comprise tin nanoparticles or silicon nanoparticles.

30 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , further comprising a separator.

31 . The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of claim 17 , wherein electrode active material additionally comprises absorbed lithium.