Electrode material for lithium secondary battery including particles having central portion and surface portion, electrode structure and lithium secondary battery

1. An electrode material for a lithium secondary battery comprising particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering the surface of the central portion and having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 10.0 μm,

wherein the central portion occupies 80 to 99% of a distance from a center to an outermost surface of the particle and the surface portion occupies 20 to 1% of the distance; the central portion comprises LiM 1-a D a O 2 (M represents Co or Ni, D represents a transition metal element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as D) having an α-NaFeO 2 structure; the surface portion comprises LiM 1-b E b O 2 (M represents Co or Ni, E represents a metal element replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as E) having an α-NaFeO 2 structure; the content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio; the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio; and the species of replacing element D and the value a of the central portion differ from the species of replacing element E and the value b of the surface portion, respectively,

wherein when element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Co, element D is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ni, and Mn, element E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al and Mg, and the increase/decrease percentage of Co—O bonding force is greater than 0, where the increase/decrease percentage of Co—O bonding force is defined as {(Co—O bonding force when surface and internal elements are replaced)−(Co—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)}/(Co—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)×100,

wherein when element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Ni, element D is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Co, and Mn, element E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Si, Ti and Mn, and the increase/decrease percentage of Ni—O bonding force is greater than 0, where the increase/decrease percentage of Ni—O bonding force is defined as {(Ni—O bonding force when surface and internal elements are replaced)−(Ni—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)}/(Ni—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)×100, and

wherein the values a and b are 0.01<a<0.25 and 0.01<b<0.25.

2. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the surface portion is 0.01 μm or more.

3. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.01 in terms of an atomic ratio, and the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.01 in terms of an atomic ratio.

4. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Ni, and replacing element E of the surface portion comprises at least one of V and Si.

5. An electrode structure comprising an electrode material for a lithium secondary battery, which uses as the electrode material an electrode material comprising particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering the surface of the central portion and having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 10.0 μm,

wherein the central portion occupies 80 to 99% of a distance from a center to an outermost surface of the particle and the surface portion occupies 20 to 1% of the distance; the central portion comprises LiM 1-a D a O 2 (M represents Co or Ni, D represents a transition metal element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as D) having an α-NaFeO 2 structure; the surface portion comprises LiM 1-b E b O 2 (M represents Co or Ni, E represents a metal element replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as E) having an α-NaFeO 2 structure; the content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio; the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio; and the species of replacing element D and the value a of the central portion differ from the species of replacing element E and the value b of the surface portion, respectively,

wherein when element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Co, element D is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ni, and Mn, element E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al and Mg, and the increase/decrease percentage of Co—O bonding force is greater than 0, where the increase/decrease percentage of Co—O bonding force is defined as {(Co—O bonding force when surface and internal elements are replaced)−(Co—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)}/(Co—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)×100,

wherein when element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Ni, element D is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Co, and Mn, element E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Si, Ti and Mn, and the increase/decrease percentage of Ni—O bonding force is greater than 0, where the increase/decrease percentage of Ni—O bonding force is defined as {(Ni—O bonding force when surface and internal elements are replaced)−(Ni—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)}/(Ni—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)×100, and

wherein the values a and b are 0.01<a<0.25 and 0.01<b<0.25.

6. The electrode structure according to claim 5 , wherein the thickness of the surface portion is 0.01 μm or more.

7. The electrode structure according to claim 5 , wherein the content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.01 in terms of an atomic ratio, and the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.01 in terms of an atomic ratio.

8. The electrode structure according to claim 5 , wherein element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Ni, and replacing element E of the surface portion comprises at least one of V and Si.

9. A lithium secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte, which uses as the positive electrode an electrode structure comprising an electrode material comprising particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering the surface of the central portion and having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 10.0 μm,

wherein the central portion occupies 80 to 99% of a distance from a center to an outermost surface of the particle and the surface portion occupies 20 to 1% of the distance; the central portion comprises LiM 1-a D a O 2 (M represents Co or Ni, D represents a transition metal element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as D) having an α-NaFeO 2 structure; the surface portion comprises LiM 1-b E b O 2 (M represents Co or Ni, E represents a metal element replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as E) having an α-NaFeO 2 structure; the content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio; the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio; and the species of replacing element D and the value a of the central portion differ from the species of replacing element E and the value b of the surface portion, respectively,

wherein when element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Co, element D is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ni, and Mn, element E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al and Mg, and the increase/decrease percentage of Co—O bonding force is greater than 0, where the increase/decrease percentage of Co—O bonding force is defined as {(Co—O bonding force when surface and internal elements are replaced)−(Co—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)}/(Co—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)×100,

wherein when element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Ni, element D is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Co, and Mn, element E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Si, Ti and Mn, and the increase/decrease percentage of Ni—O bonding force is greater than 0, where the increase/decrease percentage of Ni—O bonding force is defined as {(Ni—O bonding force when surface and internal elements are replaced)−(Ni—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)}/(Ni—O bonding force at the surface when replacement is not effected at all)×100, and

wherein the values a and b are 0.01<a<0.25 and 0.01<b<0.25.

10. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the surface portion is 0.01 μm or more.

11. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 9 , wherein the content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E) <0.01 in terms of an atomic ratio, and the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.01 in terms of an atomic ratio.

12. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 9 , wherein element M of LiM 1-a D a O 2 of the central portion and of LiM 1-b E b O 2 of the surface portion is Ni, and replacing element E of the surface portion comprises at least one of V and Si.