Patent ID: 7108944

Claim:
An active material for a battery, comprising: a material that undergoes reversible electrochemical oxidation-reduction reactions and having a surface; and a surface treatment layer on the surface and comprising: a conductive agent, and at least one coating-element-containing compound selected from the group consisting of a coating-element-containing hydroxide, a coating-element-containing oxyhydroxide, a coating-element-containing oxycarbonate, a coating-element-containing hydroxycarbonate, and a mixture thereof, wherein said material is selected from the group consisting of a compound that reversibly forms a lithium-containing compound by a reaction with lithium ions, a material that reversibly intercalates/deintercalates lithium ions and a lithiated intercalation compound, and wherein the lithiated intercalation compound is selected from the group consisting of a lithium-containing metal oxide, a lithium-containing chalcogenide compound, and a carbon-based material.