Cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

1. A process of forming a coated cathode active material particle, the process comprising:

preparing a cathode active material precursor particle in aqueous solution, the preparing comprising:

providing an aqueous acidic solution of a metal ion and an aqueous basic solution; and

combining the aqueous basic solution and the aqueous acidic solution to effect co-precipitation of the cathode active material precursor as a particle;

wherein a concentration of the metal ion is continuously increased or reduced during formation of the cathode active material precursor particle such that the cathode active material precursor contains an increasing or decreasing metal concentration along a radius of the particle;

coating the cathode active material precursor particle in aqueous solution with a coating material precursor to form a coated cathode active material precursor particle wherein the coating material precursor comprises Al(OH) 3 , Al 2 (CO 3 ) 3 , Al 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 , AlF 3 , AlPO 4 , Zr(OH) 4 , Ti(OH) 4 , Mg(OH) 2 , Zn(OH) 2 , ZnCO 3 , or Zr(CO 3 ) 2 ;

lithiating or sodiating the coated cathode active material precursor particle in aqueous solution with a lithium or sodium source material to form a lithiated or sodiated coated cathode active material precursor particle;

collecting the lithiated or sodiated coated cathode active material precursor particle; and

sintering the lithiated or sodiated coated cathode active material precursor particle to form the coated cathode active material particle.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating of the cathode active material precursor with the coating material comprises:

providing an aqueous acidic solution of a first coating material precursor and an_aqueous basic solution; and

combining the aqueous basic solution and the aqueous acidic solution to effect precipitation of a second coating material precursor;

wherein the second coating material precursor precipitates as a layer coating on individual particles of the cathode active material precursor to form the coated cathode active material precursor.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein a concentration of the first coating material precursor in the aqueous acidic solution increased or reduced during precipitation of the second electrochemically inert material precursor such that the layer of the second coating material precursor has an increasing or decreasing concentration along a radius of the layer.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating material precursor is a precursor for an electrochemically active coating, and the cathode is coated with the electrochemically active coating.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating material precursor is a precursor for an electrochemically inert coating, and the cathode is coated with the electrochemically inert coating.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cathode active material precursor comprises Co(OH) 2 , Ni(OH) 2 , CoCO 3 , MnCO 3 , NiC 2 O 4 , FePO 4 , Co x Ni y Mn 1−x−y (OH) 2 , Co x Ni y Mn 1−x−y CO 3 , or Co x Ni y Mn 1−x−y C 2 O 4 .

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating material precursor comprises a metal hydroxide, a metal carbonate, a metal oxalate, a metal fluoride, a metal phosphate, or a metal oxyfluoride.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein a coating material comprises a metal oxide, a metal fluoride, a metal phosphate, or a metal oxyfluoride.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating material comprises Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , MgO, ZnO, NiO, MnO 2 , TiO 2 , MgF 2 , CaF 2 , AlF 3 , AlPO 4 , CoPO 4 , Li 2 MnO 3 , LiAlO 2 , LiV 3 O 8 , or Li 5 FeO 4 .

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating material comprises Al 2 O 3 .

11. The process of claim 1 comprising the lithiating, wherein a lithium source material comprises lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium nitrate, lithium acetate, lithium oxalate, lithium benzoate, lithium fluoride, lithium chloride, lithium bromide, lithium iodide, lithium oxide, lithium peroxide, lithium sulfate, lithium alloys, lithium silicate, lithium aluminate, or lithium phosphate.

12. The process of claim 1 comprising the sodiating, wherein a sodium source material comprises sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrate, sodium acetate, sodium oxalate, sodium benzoate, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide, sodium oxide, sodium peroxide, sodium sulfate, sodium alloys, sodium silicate, sodium aluminate, or sodium phosphate.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cathode active material precursor particle comprises nickel and cobalt as the metal, and the coating material precursor comprises aluminum.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein preparing the cathode active material precursor particle comprises:

providing the aqueous acidic solution comprises M x X y ;

during co-precipitation of the cathode active material precursor particle, adding A x′ B y′ to effect co-precipitation of the coating material precursor;

wherein:

M is Ni, Co, Mn, Al, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, V, Mo, Nb, Cr, Si, Ti, Zr, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;

X is NO 3 − , SO 4 2− , CO 3 2− , PO 4 3− , F − , Cl − , Br − , I − , or a mixture of any two more thereof;

A is Li, Al, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, Ag, Ca, Na, K, In, Ga, Ge, V, Mo, Nb, Si, Ti, Zr, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;

B is O 2− , F − , O − , Br − , I − , S 2− , N 3− , − OH, CO 3 2− , C 2 O 4 2− , (P 2 O 7 ) 4− , PO 4 3− , SO 4 2− or a mixture of any two or more thereof;

x, x′, y, and y′ are individually 1 , 2 , or 3 ; and

wherein M and A are different.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein A is Al.

16. The process of claim 14 , wherein a concentration of M x X y is reduced during formation of the cathode active material precursor particle such that the cathode active material precursor particle contains a decreasing concentration along a radius of the particle, and a concentration of the A x′ B y′ is increased during formation of the cathode active material precursor particle such that the coating material precursor contains an increasing concentration along a radius of the particle.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coated cathode active material precursor particle comprises Mn having a constant concentration along a radius of the particle, Ni having an increasing concentration along the radius of the particle, and Co having a decreasing concentration along the radius of the particle and the coating comprising aluminum.

18. The coated cathode active material particle produced by the process of claim 1 .

19. The coated cathode active material particle of claim 18 comprising Mn having a constant concentration along a radius of the particle, Ni having an increasing concentration along the radius of the particle, and Co having a decreasing concentration along the radius of the particle and the coating comprising aluminum.

20. A cathode comprising the coated cathode active material particle of claim 18 and a binder.

21. An electrochemical device comprising the cathode of claim 20 and an anode.