Lithium metal oxides

Abstract

Lithium metal oxide particles have been produced having average diameters less than about 100 nm. Composite metal oxides of particular interest include, for example, lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, lithium titanium oxides and derivatives thereof. These nanoparticles composite metal oxides can be used as electroactive particles in lithium or lithium ion batteries. Batteries of particular interest include lithium titanium oxide in the negative electrode and lithium cobalt manganese oxide in the positive electrode.

1 . A collection of particles comprising lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof, wherein the collection of particles has an average diameter less than about 100 nm. 
     
     
         2 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises LiTi 2 O 4 . 
     
     
         3 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises LiTiAlO 4 . 
     
     
         4 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises LiTi 2−y Al y O 4 , 0<y≦1. 
     
     
         5 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 . 
     
     
         6 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises Li 1+x Ti 2−x O 4 , 0≦x≦⅓. 
     
     
         7 . The collection of particles of  claim 5  wherein 0.01≦x≦0.25. 
     
     
         8 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises Li 4 Ti 3 Al 2 O 12 . 
     
     
         9 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the lithium titanium oxide or derivatives thereof comprises Li 4 Ti 5−y Al y O 12 , 0≦y≦2. 
     
     
         10 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the particles have an average diameter from about 5 nm to about 25 nm. 
     
     
         11 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein the collection of particles have a distribution of particle sizes such that at least about 95 percent of the particles have a diameter greater than about 40 percent of the average diameter and less than about 160 percent of the average diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The collection of particles of  claim 1  wherein effectively no particles have a diameter greater than about three times the average diameter of the collection of particles. 
     
     
         13 . A battery comprising a anode, the anode comprising the collection of particles of  claim 1 .