NEGATIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND LITHIUM RECHARGABLE BATTERY INCLUDING THE SAME

1 . A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, comprising

a core including a material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions and a shell positioned on the surface of the core,

wherein the shell comprises antimony-doped tin oxide.

2 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the antimony-doped tin oxide is coated with carbon or is not coated with carbon.

3 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the shell further comprises carbon.

4 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the shell further comprises amorphous carbon.

5 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a first shell including the antimony-doped tin oxide and a second shell including carbon.

6 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the shell has a thickness of about 10 nm to about 500 nm.

7 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the shell is included in an amount of about 5 to about 25 wt % based on the total amount of the negative active material.

8 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions comprises a carbon-based material, an alloy-based material, a metal oxide-based material, or a combination thereof.

9 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions comprises natural graphite, artificial graphite, soft carbon, hard carbon, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofiber, graphene, or a combination thereof.

10 . The negative active material of claim 1 , wherein the material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions is an alloy or an oxide of a metal selected from silicon, tin, germanium, antimony, bismuth, or a combination thereof.

11 . A method of manufacturing a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, comprising:

preparing a material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions;

preparing a shell composition including antimony-doped tin oxide;

adding the material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions and the shell composition in a solvent to obtain a mixture; and

heat-treating the mixture.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the preparation of a material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions further comprises activation of the surface of the material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the preparation of a shell composition including the antimony-doped tin oxide comprises coating the antimony-doped tin oxide with carbon.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the shell composition comprises the antimony-doped tin oxide and a carbon precursor.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the carbon precursor is sucrose, citric acid, glucose, agarose, polysaccharide, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), polyvinyl alcohol, or a combination thereof.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the shell composition is comprised in an amount of about 5 to about 25 wt % based on the total amount of the negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the solvent is water, alcohol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylenechloride, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, N-methylpyrrolidone, or a combination thereof.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the heat-treating is performed at about 400° C. to about 700° C., and for about 1 hour to about 6 hours.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the heat-treating is performed under an inactive gas atmosphere.

20 . A rechargeable lithium battery, comprising:

the negative electrode including a negative active material of claim 1 ;

a positive electrode; and

an electrolyte.