Patent ID: 7776473

Claim:
A method for preparing a silicon-silicon dioxide-lithium composite, comprising: mixing silicon oxide having the general formula; SiOx wherein 1≦x<1.6 with metallic lithium and/or an organolithium compound as a lithiating agent in an inert gas atmosphere for reaction, whereby the silicon oxide undergoes disproportionation into silicon and silicon dioxide doped with lithium at the same time to form Li 4 SiO 4 and silicon as a silicon-silicon dioxide-lithium composite having such a structure that silicon grains having a size of 0.5 to 50 nm in an atomic order and/or crystallite state are dispersed in silicon dioxide, wherein said reaction between silicon oxide and metallic lithium and/or the organolithium compound is conducted by feeding the mixture of silicon oxide and metallic lithium and/or the organolithium compound in a jar of a planetary ball mill, operated for milling and reaction, so that the temperature within a jar is controlled at about 40 to 120° C. during the reaction.