Patent ID: 7566479

Claim:
A method for producing a surface-modified material for a cathode material, comprising the steps of (i) treating a bulk of material with a solution containing a first solvent and at least one flocculant comprising a soluble polymer so that the flocculant adheres to the bulk; (ii) subsequently contacting the flocculant-treated bulk of step (i) with a dispersion containing a second solvent and a particulate solid particle(s) to deposit the particulate solid particles on the flocculant-treated bulk; and (iii) subsequently treating the resultant of step (ii) with heat at a temperature of more than about 550° C. to create a concentration gradient of one or more dopant or substituent element(s) from the surface to the bulk, and/or core-shell materials with the core and the shell(s) being different distinct phases, wherein the surface modified material is a cathode material with modified surface layers for Li batteries, Li-ion batteries, Li polymer batteries, and Li-ion polymer batteries, where an original cathode material is coated with fine-particulate solid particles, and wherein the bulk of material is LiCoO 2 , and wherein the dispersion of step (ii) is a dispersion solution of TiO 2 , and the particulate solid particle(s) is TiO 2 .