Lithium-nickel-manganese-based transition metal oxide particles, production thereof and use thereof as electrode material

1. Method for producing lithium-nickel-manganese based transition metal oxide particles having general formula (1):

LiMn 1.5+y Ni 0.5−y−z M z O 4   (1),

wherein M comprises one or more elements from the group of Co, Mg, Fe and Zn,

y is a value from 0 to less than 0.5,

z is a value from 0 to 0.1, and

(y+z) is a value less than 0.5,

the method comprising the steps of:

(a) reacting an aqueous solution of manganese salts, nickel salts and optional one or more further salts of the elements Co, Mg, Fe and Zn with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide and NH 3 to precipitate a lithium-free transition metal precursor from the reaction mixture,

wherein the concentration of NH 4 + ions in the reaction mixture after establishing a chemical equilibrium is 0.05 mol/l or more,

(b) isolating and optionally drying the precipitated lithium-free transition metal precursor from the reaction mixture,

(c) reacting the lithium-free transition metal precursor with an aqueous solution of a thermally decomposable lithium compound to obtain a lithium-containing transition metal precursor, and

(d) calcining the lithium-containing transition metal precursor at a temperature of 300° C.-800° C.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein in step (a) the concentration of NH 3 in the reaction mixture is 0.01 to 1.0 mol/l after the establishment of a chemical equilibrium.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein in step (a) the concentration of NH 4 ± ions in the reaction mixture is 0.07 to 0.25 mol/l after the establishment of a chemical equilibrium.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step (a) is sodium hydroxide.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the salts in step (a) are selected from nitrates and sulphates.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the conversion in step (a) takes place in a continuously operating reactor.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the calcining in step (d) takes place in an first stage at a temperature from 350° C. to 450° C. and in a second stage at a temperature from 450° C. to 700° C.

8. Method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step

(e1) Mixing the transition metal oxide particles obtained in step (d) with a lithium-containing compound and a reducing agent, and converting the mixture in a solid phase reaction at a temperature from 120° C. to 400° C. to obtain transition metal oxide particles having general formula (2),

Li 1+x Mn 1.5+y Ni 0.5−y−z M z O 4   (2),

wherein x is a value from 0<x<1.5,

and M, y and z are as defined in claim 1 .

9. Method according to claim 8 , wherein the conversion in step (e1) is carried out with lithium iodide.

10. Method according to claim 8 , wherein the conversion in step (e1) takes place at at temperature from 180° C. to 300° C.

11. Method according to any one of claim 1 , further comprising step

(e2) electrochemical conversion of the transition metal oxide particles obtained in step (d) with a lithium-containing counter electrode and/or a lithium containing sacrificial electrode in an electrolyte with a potential from 1.4 to 4.0 V, to obtain transition metal oxide particles having general formula (2),

Li 1+x Mn 1.5+y Ni 0.5−y−z M z O 4   (2),

wherein x is a value from 0<x<1.5,

and M, y and z are as defined in claim 1 .

12. Transition metal oxide particles having general formula (1), obtainable by a method as defined in claim 1 ,

LiMn 1.5+y Ni 0.5−y−z M z O 4   (1),

wherein M, y and z are as defined in claim 1 ,

the particles have an average particle size from 1 to 40 the average primary crystallite size of the particles is from 20 to 1000 nm, the tamped density is from 2.0 to 2.8 g/cm 3 , and the particles have a spherical or spheroidal grain shape, wherein the ratio of the largest diameter to the smallest diameter of a particle is 1.8 or less.

13. Transition metal oxide particles having general formula (2), obtainable by a method as defined in claim 8 ,

Li 1+x Mn 1.5+y Ni 0.5−y−z M z O 4   (2),

wherein M comprises one or more elements from the group of Co, Mg, Fe and Zn,

y is a value from 0 to less than 0.5,

z is a value from 0 to 0.1,

(y+z) is a value less than 0.5, and

x is a value from 0<x<1.5, the particles have an average particle size from 1 to 40 μm, the average primary crystallite size of the particles is from 20 to 1000 nm, the tamped density is from 2.2 to 3.0 g/cm 3 , and the particles have a spherical or spheroidal grain shape, wherein the ratio of the largest diameter to the smallest diameter of a particle is 1.8 or less.

14. Use of the transition metal oxide particles according to claim 12 as electrode material.

15. Use of the transition metal oxide particles according to claim 13 as storage material in lithium accumulators or as an additive in anode materials.