Synthesis of hierarchical Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>FeP<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> spheres with high electrochemical performance via spray drying

Hierarchical Na₂FeP₂O₇ spheres with nanoparticles were successfully fabricated by a facile spray drying method. A relatively low drying temperature was introduced in order to form a carbon layer on the surface. As a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries, it delivered a reversible capacity of 84.4 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C and showed excellent cycling and rate performance (64.7 mAh g^?1 at 5 C). Furthermore, a full sodium battery was fabricated using SP-Na₂FeP₂O₇ as the cathode and hard carbon as the anode, suffering almost no capacity loss after 400 cycles at 1 C. Due to its superior electrochemical property and the low materials cost, Na₂FeP₂O₇ is becoming a promising cathode material for large-scale energy storage systems.     

Electrochemical behavior of carbonic precursor with Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>nanostructured material in hybrid battery system

The nanostructured Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ (NVP) cathode material has been synthesized using the sol-gel route for different molar fractions of citric acid as a carbon source during the synthesis. The nanostructured NVP as cores with carbonic shell structures are fabricated with two different citric acid molar ratios. The thermal treatment has been optimized to convert the amorphous carbon shell into graphitic carbon to realize the better electrical conductivity and thus effective electron transfer during the electrochemical charge transfer process. The X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the rhombohedral crystallographic phase (space group R-3c) with average crystallite size ~28 ± 5 nm. The coin cells are assembled in a hybrid rechargeable electrochemical cell configuration with lithium as a counter electrode and LiPF₆-EC:DEC:DMC (1:1:1 ratio) as the electrolyte. The electrochemical charge/discharge measurements are carried out at C/10 and C/20 rates and the measured specific capacities are 80 and 120 mAhg^?1 for samples with lower and higher citric acid molar ratios, respectively. The studies suggest that NVP can be used as an effective cathode material in hybrid electrochemical cells, and a higher concentration of citric acid may result in the effective carbonic shell for optimal electron transfer and thus enhanced electrochemical performance.     

Multi-hierarchical nanosheet-assembled chrysanthemum-structured Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>/C as electrode materials for high-performance sodium-ion batteries

The structure and morphology of sodium vanadium phosphate (Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃) play a vital role in enhancing the electrochemical performance of sodium-ion batteries due to the inherent poor electronic conductivity of the phosphate framework. In order to improve this drawback, a new chrysanthemum-structured Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C material has been successfully assembled with multi-hierarchical nanosheets via a hydrothermal method. Continuous scattering nanosheets in chrysanthemum petals are beneficial in reducing energy consumption during the process of sodium ion diffusion, on which the carbon-coated surface can significantly increase overall conductivity. The as-prepared sample exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance due to its unique structure. It rendered a high initial specific capacity of 117.4?mAh?g^?1 at a current density of 0.05 C. Further increasing the current density to 10 C, the initial specific capacity still achieves 101.3?mAh?g^?1 and remains at 87.5?mAh?g^?1 after 1000 cycles. In addition, a symmetrical sodium-ion full battery using the chrysanthemum-structured Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C materials as both the cathode and anode has been successfully fabricated, delivering the capacity of 62?mAh?g^?1 at 1?C and achieving the coulombic efficiency at an average of 96.4% within 100 cycles. These results indicate that the new chrysanthemum-structured Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C can provide a new idea for the development of high-performance sodium-ion batteries.     

Electrochemical properties of Li<Subscript>3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>/C cathode materials synthesized via ethylene glycol-assisted solvothermal method

The Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C (LVP/C) cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries were synthesized via ethylene glycol-assisted solvothermal method. The phase composition, phase transition temperature, morphology, and fined microstructure were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analyzer (DTA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. The electrochemical properties, impedance, and electrical conductivity of LVP/C cathode materials were tested by channel battery analyzer, the electrochemical workstation, and the Hall test system, respectively. The results shown that the appropriate amount of water added to ethylene glycol solvent contributes to the synthesis of pure phase LVP. The LVP₁₀/C cathode material can exhibit discharge capacities of 128, 126, 126, 123, 124, and 114 mAh g^?1 at 0.1, 0.5, 2, 5, 10, and 20 C in the voltage range of 3.0–4.3 V, respectively. Meanwhile, it shows also a stable cycling performance with the capacity retention of 89.6% after 180 cycles at 20 C.     

An investigation on the unsatisfactory rate capability of spherical LiNi<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Co<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> particles prepared by using Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>CO<Subscript>3</Subscript> as a precipitant

Spherical LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ particles were successfully synthesized using Na₂CO₃ as a precipitant. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the as-synthesized spherical particles deliver a high reversible capacity of above 180 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C in the voltage range of 2.8–4.4 V and display an excellent cyclic performance at 0.5 C. However, unsatisfactory rate capability was detected for the as-prepared spherical particles. The reason for the unsatisfactory rate capability was investigated through a comparison of the properties of the as-synthesized spherical particles versus the ball-milled samples via a combination of specific surface areas test, electronic conductivity measurement, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that both the rate capabilities of cathode materials and the electronic conductivities of the mixtures of active material, conductive additive, and binder are highly improved when the secondary spherical particles were broken, indicating that the poor electronic conductivity of electrode caused by the large secondary spherical particles with a great amount of nano-pores is a significant factor for the unsatisfactory rate capability.     

Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of graphene nanoflakes and LiFe<Subscript>0.97</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>0.03</Subscript>PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C for lithium-ion battery

The graphene nanoflakes and olivine-type LiFe_0.97Ni_0.03PO₄/C (LFNP3/C) samples have been synthesized as anode and cathode materials, respectively. Physicochemical characterization of the graphene nanoflakes and LFNP3/C material were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The XRD patterns reveal the formation of the pure phase of both the synthesized samples. SEM micrographs disclose the formation of spherically shaped nanosized particles for LFNP3/C while graphene shows flake-type morphology. CR2032 half and full coin cells were assembled for electrochemical testing of the synthesized samples. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) results indicate that the graphene-based half-cells, i.e., GN1H and GN2H, possess reduction peak/plateau around 0.17 V while LFNP3/C cathode shows discharging voltage plateau at 3.4 V vs. Li/Li⁺. The discharge capacities were found to be 700, 900, and 153 mAhg^?1 for GN1H, GN2H, and LFNP3/C half-cells vs. Li/Li⁺, respectively. Among full cells, LFPGN1F with γ = 0.75 (mass/capacity balancing factor) shows better charging/discharging profile at each C-rate as compared to LFPGN2F with γ = 0.55. LFPGN1F delivered an initial discharge capacity of around 154 mAhg^?1 at 0.1C and even at a high discharge rate of 1C, it retained ~97% of the discharge capacity as compared to the initial cycle at the same rate.     

Improvement in rate capability of lithium-rich cathode material Li[Li<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>0.54</Subscript>]O<Subscript>2</Subscript> by Mo substitution

Lithium-rich cathode material Li[Li_0.2Ni_0.13Co_0.13Mn_0.54]O₂ doped with trace Mo is successfully synthesized by a sol-gel method. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that trace Mo substitution increases the inter-layer space of the material, of which is benefiting to lithium ion insertion/extraction among the electrode materials. The (CV) tests demonstrate the decrease of polarization, and on the other hand, the lithium ion diffusion coefficient (D _Li) of the modified material turns out to be larger, which indicates a faster electrochemical process. As a result, the Mo doped material possesses high rate performance and good cycling stability, and the initial discharge capacity reaches 149.3 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 5.0 °C, and the residual capacity is 144.0 mAh g^?1 after 50 cycles with capacity retention of 96.5 % in the potential range of 2.0–4.8 V at room temperature.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Li<Subscript>1.2</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>0.54</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> cathode material for lithium-ion battery

The layered Li_1.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13O₂ lithium-rich manganese-based solid solution cathode material has been synthesized by a simple solid-state method. The as-prepared material has a typical layered structure with R-3m and C2/m space group. The synthesized Li_1.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13O₂ has an irregular shape with the size range from 200 to 500 nm, and the primary particle of Li_1.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13O₂ has regular sphere morphology with a diameter of 320 nm. Electrochemical performances also have been investigated. The results show that the cathode material Li_1.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13O₂ prepared at 900 °C for 12 h has a good electrochemical performance, which can deliver a high initial discharge capacity of 233.5, 214.2, 199.3, and 168.1 mAh g^?1 at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1 C, respectively. After 50 cycles, the capacity retains 178.0, 166.3, 162.1, and 155.9 mAh g^?1 at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1 C, respectively. The results indicate that the simple method has a great potential in synthesizing manganese-based cathode materials for Li-ion batteries.     

Effects of different precipitants on LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> for lithium ion batteries prepared by modified co-precipitation method

Effects of two different precipitants of Na₂CO₃ and Na₂C₂O₄ on LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) cathode materials, which are prepared by a modified co-precipitation method, have been investigated. Various measurements have been applied to characterize the physical and electrochemical performances of LNMO. Compared with the LNMO prepared by the oxalate co-precipitation (LNMO2), the material synthesized by the carbonate co-precipitation (LNMO1) not only shows more uniform porosity and smaller particles but also has a better rate capability and cycling performance. In addition, the sample prepared by carbonate has a stable spherical structure, due to the fact that carbonate co-precipitation with less gas release during calcination can prevent the destruction of the as-prepared LNMO material structure and promote the formation of regular particle and aperture. Based on the electrochemical test results, LNMO1 shows greatly enhanced electrochemical performance of a high initial discharge capacity of 125.6 mAh g^?1 at 0.25 °C, as well as a preferably capacity retention of 96.5% after 100 cycles at 0.5 °C. And even at a high rate of 10 °C, the discharge capacity of LNMO1-based cell still approaches 83.1 mAh g^?1.     

Nano Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> as sulfur host for high-performance Li-S battery

S/Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ cathode with high lithium ionic conductivity was prepared for Li-S battery. Herein, nano Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ is used as sulfur host and fast Li⁺ conductor, which can adsorb effectively polysulfides and improve remarkably Li⁺ diffusion coefficient in sulfur cathode. At 0.5 C, S/Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ cathode has a stable discharge capacity of 616 mAh g^?1 at the 700th cycle and a capacity loss per cycle of 0.0196% from the second to the 700th cycle, but the corresponding values of S/C cathode are 437 mAh g^?1 and 0.0598%. Even at 2 C, the capacity loss per cycle of S/Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ cathode is only 0.0273% from the second to the 700th cycle. The results indicate that Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ as the sulfur host plays a key role on the high performance of Li-S battery due to reducing the shuttle effect and enhancing lithium ionic conductivity.     

Ultrasonic-assisted solution combustion synthesis of porous Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>/C: formation mechanism and sodium storage performance

Solution combustion synthesis (SCS) is an effective and rapid method for synthesizing nanocrystalline materials. However, the control over size, morphology, and microstructure are rather limited in SCS. Here, we develop a novel ultrasonic-assisted solution combustion route to synthesize the porous and nano-sized Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C composites, and reveal the effects of ultrasound on the structural evolution of NVP/C. Due to the cavitation effects generated from ultrasonic irradiation, the ultrasonic-assisted SCS can produce honeycomb precursor, which can be further transformed into porous Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C with reticular and hollow structures after thermal treatment. When used as cathode material for Na-ion batteries, the porous Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C delivers an initial discharge capacity of 118 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C and an initial coulombic efficiency of 85%. It can retain 93.8% of the initial capacity after 120 cycles at 0.2 C. The results demonstrate that ultrasonic-assisted SCS can be a new strategy to design crystalline nanomaterials with tunable microstructures.

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Graphical abstract Porous and nano-sized Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C composites with reticular and hollow structures are synthesized by an ultrasonic-assisted solution combustion route due to the cavitation effects, and exhibit excellent electrochemical performance as cathode in sodium ion battery.

     

Electrochemical comparison of LiFe<Subscript>0.4</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>0.595</Subscript>Cr<Subscript>0.005</Subscript>PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C and LiMnPO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C cathode materials

A comparison of electrochemical performance between LiFe_0.4Mn_0.595Cr_0.005PO₄/C and LiMnPO₄/C cathode materials was conducted in this paper. The cathode samples were synthesized by a nano-milling-assisted solid-state process using caramel as carbon sources. The prepared samples were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), powder conductivity test (PCT), carbon-sulfur analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling. The results showed that LiFe_0.4Mn_0.595Cr_0.005PO₄/C exhibited high specific capacity and high energy density. The initial discharge capacity of LiFe_0.4Mn_0.595Cr_0.005PO₄/C was 163.6 mAh g^?1 at 0.1C (1C = 160 mA g^?1), compared to 112.3 mAh g^?1 for LiMnPO₄/C. Moreover, the Fe/Cr-substituted sample showed good cycle stability and rate performance. The capacity retention of LiFe_0.4Mn_0.595Cr_0.005PO₄/C was 98.84 % over 100 charge-discharge cycles, while it was only 86.64 % for the pristine LiMnPO₄/C. These results indicated that Fe/Cr substitution enhanced the electronic conductivity for the prepared sample and facilitated the Li⁺ diffusion in the structure. Furthermore, LiFe_0.4Mn_0.595Cr_0.005PO₄/C composite presented high energy density (606 Wh kg^?1) and high power density (574 W kg^?1), thus suggested great potential application in lithium ion batteries (LIBs).     

Synthesis of spinel LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> as advanced cathode via a modified oxalate co-precipitation method

Spinel-type LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) cathode materials for lithium ion batteries have been synthesized via a modified oxalate co-precipitation method. By virtue of the co-precipitation of Li⁺ with transition metal ions, the target materials can be obtained through one-pot reaction without subsequent mixing with lithium salts. What’s more, a uniform distribution between the lithium and transition metal ions at molecular level could be realized, which is beneficial for final electrochemical performances. The physical and electrochemical properties of the material are characterized by XRD, TGA, EDS, FT-IR, SEM, CV, EIS, and charge/discharge tests. The results prove that the as-prepared material owns a cubic spinel structure with a space group of Fd-3m, high crystallinity, uniform particle size, and excellent electrochemical performances. A higher initial capacity and superior rate performance are delivered compared with that of material by conventional co-precipitation method. High capacities of 131.7 and 104.0 mAh g^?1 could be displayed at 0.5 and 10 C, respectively. Excellent cycle stability is also demonstrated with more than 98.5 % capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 C.     

Effect of high-temperature crystallization on the electrochemical properties of LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> synthesized from a lithiated transition metal oxide precursor

The lithiated transition metal oxide precursor (LNCMO) with typical α-NaFeO₂ structure and imperfect crystallinity, obtained from a hydrothermal process, was pretreated at 500 °C and then subjected to sintering at 800–920 °C to synthesize the ternary layered LiNi_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3O₂ (NCM523). X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and charge/discharge testing were used for investigating the effect of the high-temperature crystallization on the properties of the NCM523 cathode materials. The results show that the materials heated at 880–900 °C possess superior cation ordering, perfect crystallinity, and excellent electrochemical performances, among which the material heated at 900 °C delivers better performances, with the initial discharge capacity of 152.6 mAh g^?1 at 0.5 C over 3.0 to 4.3 V and the capacity retention of 95.5% after 50 cycles. Furthermore, the effect of the high-temperature crystallization on the Li⁺ diffusion coefficient, potential polarization, and electrochemical resistance are discussed.     

Improved structural stability and electrochemical performance of Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript> (PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> cathode material by Cr doping

Cr-doped sodium vanadium phosphate (NVP) in the form of Na₃V_2-xCr_x(PO₄)₃ (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.10) is synthesized via a facile sol-gel route as cathode materials for sodium ion batteries. The structure and morphology of these materials are systematically characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-infrared spectra (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). XRD analysis reveals that with the increasing amount of Cr, the crystallographic parameters show a descending trend. Electrochemical tests show that the cycle stability and the specific capacity of the sodium ion batteries can be significantly improved by doping Cr into NVP. Among all the Cr-doped cathode materials, Na₃V_1.92Cr_0.08(PO₄)₃ achieves the highest capacity of 112.2 mAh g^?1 and the capacity retention is 97.2 % after 50 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that Cr doping is an effective method to reduce the contact resistance of interparticles by suppressing irreversible phase transformation at low sodium contents.     

Preparation of LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> cathode materials by electrospinning

LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ cathode material was prepared by electrospinning using lithium hydroxide, manganese acetate, nickel acetate, acetic acid, ethanol, and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as raw materials. The effect of calcination temperature on the structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties was investigated. XRD results indicate that the LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ composite is well crystallized as a spinel structure at calcination temperature of 650 °C for 3 h. SEM results reveal that this composite has a nanofiber shape with average size of about 300–500 nm. Electrochemical performance tests reveal that this composite shows the initial discharge capacity of 127.8 and 105 mAhg^?1 at 0.1 and 3 C rates, respectively, and exhibits good cycling performance.     

LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> hollow nano-micro hierarchical microspheres as advanced cathode for lithium ion batteries

The high-voltage spinel-type LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) is a promising cathode material for next-generation lithium ion batteries. In this study, hollow LNMO microspheres have been synthesized via co-precipitation method accompanied with high-temperature calcinations. The physical and electrochemical properties of the materials are characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), TGA, RAMAN, CV, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electon microscopy (TEM), electrochemical impendence spectroscopy (EIS), and charge-discharge tests. The results prove that the microspheres combine hollow structures inward and own a cubic spinel structure with space group of Fd-3m, high crystallinity, and excellent electrochemical performances. With the short Li⁺ diffusion length and hollow structure, the hierarchical LNMO microspheres exhibit 138.2 and 108.5 mAh g^?1 at 0.5 and 10 C, respectively. Excellent cycle stability is also demonstrated with more than 98.8 and 88.2 % capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 and 10 C, respectively.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of P2-Na<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The pure phase P2-Na_2/3Ni_1/3Mn_2/3O₂ was synthesized by a solid reaction process. The optimum calcination temperature was 850 °C. The as-prepared product delivered a capacity of 158 mAh g^?1 in the voltage range of 2–4.5 V, and there was a phase transition from P2 to O2 at about 4.2 V in the charge process. The P2 phase exhibited excellent intercalation behavior of Na ions. The reversible capacity is about 88.5 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C in the voltage range of 2–4 V at room temperature. At an elevated temperature of 55 °C, it could remain as an excellent capacity retention at low current rates. The P2-Na_2/3Ni_1/3Mn_2/3O₂ is a potential cathode material for sodium-ion batteries.     

Improving the electrochemical performance of Li-rich Li<Subscript>1.2</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>0.54</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> cathode material by LiF coating

To suppress the capacity fade of Li-rich Li_1.2Ni_0.13Co_0.13Mn_0.54O₂ material as cathode materials for lithium-ion battery, we introduce a LiF coating layer on the surface to improve the cycling performance of Li_1.2Ni_0.13Co_0.13Mn_0.54O₂ material. The modified sample shows a capacity of 163.2 mAh g^?1 with a capacity retention of 95% after 100 cycles at a current density of 250 mA g^?1, while the pristine sample only delivers a capacity of 129.9 mAh g^?1 with a capacity retention of 82%. Compared with the pristine material, the LiF-modified sample exhibits an obvious enhancement in the electrochemical performance, which will be very beneficial for this material to be commercialized on the new energy vehicles and other related areas.     

Influence of sol-gel precursors on the electrochemical performance of NaMn<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> positive electrode for sodium-ion battery

Among the various cathode materials explored for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), NaMn_0.33Ni_0.33Co_0.33O₂, with a layered oxide structure, is a promising material due to its high theoretical capacity (240 mAhg^?1). We have synthesized NaMn_0.33Ni_0.33Co_0.33O₂ using two different types of precursors, namely metal acetates and metal nitrates by the sol-gel method. XRD patterns confirm the formation of a stable phase of the material at 900 °C. Coupled TGA-FTIR analysis was used to optimize the calcination conditions and to understand the hydrolysis and condensation mechanism of the sol-gel precursors. FTIR spectra extracted at different temperatures reveal the polymer network-forming tendency of the acetate ligands whereas the polymerization is inhibited in the nitrate precursors. SEM analysis shows spherical and platelet morphologies of samples synthesized from nitrate and acetate precursors, respectively. Using in situ impedance and galvanostatic charge/discharge studies, we observed that the precursors used to synthesize the cathode material influence the electrochemical properties of the material, as in this case, where we observe a 20 % improvement in terms of capacity by using acetate precursors instead of nitrate precursors.