Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6, 16 and 17, in the reply filed on 07/28/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being clearly anticipated by CHOI et al., US 2020/008353 A1.
Regarding claims 1, 2, 16 and 17, CHOI et al. teach a positive electrode active material comprising a lithium composite transition metal oxide (claim 1) wherein the positive electrode active material is in a lithium secondary battery comprising said positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator and an electrolyte interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode (claim 10). The positive electrode active material is a secondary particle in which primary particles are aggregated (claim 1) wherein the primary particles comprises a coating portion containing an M¹ metal of Formula 1 (M2 and M3 each can be Ce, a lanthanide), wherein the coating portion is locally present on surfaces of the primary particles or at inter- particle boundaries of the primary particles (coating layer can contain Ce, a lanthanide – claim 8), and the lithium composite transition metal oxide has an average composition represented by Formula 1 by including the coating portion (claim 3, where M1 is Mn or Al which meets the present limitation for M2 – it is noted subscript e can be 0): wherein, in Formula 1, M¹ is-includes at least one selected from the group consisting of lanthanides, M² is-includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, B, W, Mo, Cr, Nb, Mg, Hf, Ta, La, Ti, Sr, Ba, F, P, S, and or Y, and 0.9≤x≤1.1, 0.8≤a<1.0, 0<b<0.2, 0<c<0.2, 0<d<0.1, 0<e<0.1, and a+b+c+d+e=1. (claim 3).
Regarding claim 3, the coating portion of CHOI et al. covers at least a part of the primary particle (claim 8).
Regarding claim 4, the average major axis length of the primary particle of CHOI et al. is in a range of 0.01 to 20 mm, preferably 0.1 to 2 mm ([0044]) which overlaps significantly with the claimed range.
Regarding claim 5, the secondary particle diameter may be 0.01 to 50 mm ([0057]) which overlaps significantly with the claimed range..
Regarding claim 6, CHOI et al. the coating layer can contain boron (claim 8).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CHOI et al., US 2021/0167381 A1 teach a positive electrode active material comprising a lithium composite transition metal oxide comprising coating layers (claims).
In US 12,451,481 B2, KWAK et al. teach a positive active material containing a lithium transition metal oxide in the form a secondary particle in which primary particles are aggregated, wherein a zirconium containing coating film is formed on the surface of the lithium transition metal oxide secondary particle and at the interface between the primary particles present inside the secondary particle (abstract).
KAMIYAMA et al, US 2017/0125796, teach a positive electrode active material containing primary and secondary particles wherein the secondary particles are mainly configured of hydroxides and oxyhydroxides of lanthanoid elements (abstract).
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BARBARA L GILLIAM
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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