Thermal instabilities of organic carbonates with discharged cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries

Thermal instability of lithiated cathode materials with organic carbonate were investigated using DSC. Lithium transition metal oxides of LiFePO₄, LiMn₂O₄, and LiCoO₂ were mixed with diethyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, and propylene carbonate then dynamically screened to about 500 °C. Curves were acquired and analyzed to determine exothermic onset temperatures and reaction enthalpies. These data for assessing the thermal hazards of lithium-ion batteries under discharged conditions were compared to those data published in the literature.     

Thermal study of organic electrolytes with fully charged cathodic materials of lithium-ion batteries

We systematically investigated thermal effects of organic electrolytes/organic solvents with fully charged cathodic materials (Li_0.5CoO₂) of Li-ion battery under rupture conditions by using oxygen bomb calorimeter. In the six studied systems, both the amount of combustion heat and heat release rates showed a pronounced increase with the increase in mass ratios of cathodic materials to electrolytes/solvents. More importantly, synergistic effects not simply physical mixtures have firstly been observed between cathodic materials and electrolytes/solvents in the complete combustion reactions. The results have been further analyzed by X-ray diffraction spectra, which revealed that Co₃O₄, CoO, and LiCoO₂ were the main solid products for the combustion reactions of studied systems. And there are more CoO and less LiCoO₂ products for the higher ratio of cathodic materials system and more amount of heat generated. It means that the combustion reaction, which produced CoO, generated more amount of heat than LiCoO₂. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Application of polymethyl methacrylate in cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries

A study of the Li₂FeSiO₄/C cathode material doped with Mn demonstrated that introduction of polymethyl methacrylate results in a substantial decrease in the particle size and increase in the specific surface area of the cathode material. Polymethyl methacrylate strongly improves the cyclic stability of the cathode material. The discharge capacity after the first cycle was 218 mA h g^–1, and that upon stabilization of the structure of the cathode material, 170 mA h g^–1.     

Intrinsic characteristics of cathode and anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Fundamental aspects of solving the problem of how the working capacity of lithium-ion batteries in prolonged cycling can be raised and the basic tendencies in the relationship between the intrinsic parameters of active materials of various brands and the electrochemical behavior of anodes and cathodes fabricated from these materials are considered.     

A comparative study of overdischarge behaviors of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

The overdischarge behaviors of LiFePO₄, LiNiO₂, and LiMn₂O₄ are thoroughly studied in different overlithiation voltage limitations. The results showed that LiFePO₄ and LiMn₂O₄ cathode materials show high structure stability under the overdischarge process to 1.0 V. The microstructure of LiNiO₂ is vulnerable to breakdown under the same testing condition. Fe-based olivine and Mn-based spinel cathode materials show better cyclic calendar life than that of Ni-based layered material. When an extreme overdischarge parameter (down to 0.0 V) is applied, all three samples experience an electrochemically driven irreversible solid-state amorphization process. Due to this overlithiation reaction, the host structure is totally destroyed. Therefore, it is harmful to experience deep overdischarge behaviors for most cathode materials.     

Microwave synthesis of Li_2FeSiO_4 cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

A novel synthetic method of microwave processing to prepare Li_2FeSiO_4 cathode materials is adopted.The Li_2FeSiO_4 cathode material is prepared by mechanical ball-milling and subsequent microwave processing.Olivin-type Li_2FeSiO_4 sample with uniform and fine particle sizes is successfully and fast synthesized by microwave heating at 700℃in 12 min.And the obtained Li_2FeSiO_4 materials show better electrochemical performance and microstructure than those of Li_2FeSiO_4 sample by the conventional solids...     

Recent progress of surface coating on cathode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) have received substantial attention in the last 10 years,as they offer great promise as power sources that can lead to the electric vehicle (EV) revolution in the next 5 years.Since the cathode serves as a key component in LIB,its properties significantly affect the performance of the whole system.Recently,the cathode surface modification based on coating technique has been widely employed to enhance the electrochemical performances by improving the material conductivity,stabilising the physical structure of materials,as well as preventing the reactions between the electrode and electrolyte.In this work,we reviewed the present of a number of promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries.After that,we summarized the very recent research progress focusing on the surface coating strategies,mainly including the coating materials,the coating technologies,as well as the corresponding working mechanisms for cathodes.At last,the challenges faced and future guidelines for optimizing cathode materials are discussed.In this study,we propose that the structure of cathode is a crucial factor during the selection of coating materials and technologies.     

Carbon nanotubes/vanadium oxide composites as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - The carbon nanotubes/vanadium oxide composites have been prepared through a facile hydrothermal method. Morphology features of the samples are...     

3d-Transition metal doped spinels as high-voltage cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Finding appropriate positive electrode materials for Li-ion batteries is the next big step for their application in emerging fields like stationary energy storage and electromobility. Among the potential materials 3d-transition metal doped spinels exhibit a high operating voltage and, therefore, are highly promising cathode materials which could meet the requirements regarding energy and power density to make Li-ion batteries the system of choice for the above mentioned applications. The compounds considered here include substituted Mn-based spinels such as LiM_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (M = Ni, Co, Fe), LiCrMnO₄ and LiCrTiO₄. In this review, the recent researches conducted on these spinel materials are summarized. These include different routes of synthesis, structural studies, electrode preparation, electrochemical performance and mechanism of Li-extraction/insertion, thermal stability as well as degradation mechanisms. Note that even though the Ni-, Co-, and Fe-doped materials share the same chemical formula, the oxidation state distributions as well as the operating voltages are different among them. Furthermore, apart from the initial structural similarity, the Li-intercalation takes place through different mechanisms in different materials. In addition, this difference in mechanism is found to have considerable influence on the long-term cycling stability of the material. The routes to improve the electrochemical performance of some of the above candidates are discussed. Further emphasis is given to the parameters that limit their application in current technology, and strategies to overcome them are addressed.     

Enhancing LiNiO2 cathode materials by concentration-gradient yttrium modification for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2) cathode materials are featured with high capacity and low cost for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries but suffer from severe inter...     

Electrospun V2O5 nanostructures with controllable morphology as high-performance cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Porous V(2)O(5) nanotubes, hierarchical V(2)O(5) nanofibers, and single-crystalline V(2)O(5) nanobelts were controllably synthesized by using a simple electrospinning technique and subsequent annealing. The mechanism for the formation of these controllable structures was investigated. When tested as the cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the as-formed V(2)O(5) nanostructures exhibited a highly reversible capacity, excellent cycling performance, and good rate capacity. In particular, the porous V(2)O(5) nanotubes provided short distances for Li(+)-ion diffusion and large electrode-electrolyte contact areas for high Li(+)-ion flux across the interface; Moreover, these nanotubes delivered a high power density of 40.2?kW?kg(-1) whilst the energy density remained as high as 201?W?h?kg(-1), which, as one of the highest values measured on V(2)O(5)-based cathode materials, could bridge the performance gap between batteries and supercapacitors. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first preparation of single-crystalline V(2)O(5) nanobelts by using electrospinning techniques. Interestingly, the beneficial crystal orientation provided improved cycling stability for lithium intercalation. These results demonstrate that further improvement or optimization of electrochemical performance in transition-metal-oxide-based electrode materials could be realized by the design of 1D nanostructures with unique morphologies.     

Effects of microwave irradiation on the electrochemical performance of manganese-based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Microwave-assisted synthesis has continued to be adopted for the preparation of high-performance manganese-based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The technique is fast, energy-efficient and has significant positive impacts on the general physico-chemical properties of the cathode materials: LiMn₂O₄, LiMn_1.5Ni_0.5O₄, and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides. Despite the advantages of microwave-assisted synthesis, this review reveals that the application is still limited. In our opinion, increased basic knowledge of the microwave process and availability of safe and reliable instrumentation could be a great opportunity for the commercial realization of low-cost and energy-dense Mn-based cathode materials for the next-generation lithium-ion batteries.     

Electrochemical performance of Yb-doped LiFePO4/C composites as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

LiFePO₄/C and LiYb_0.02Fe_0.98PO₄/C composite cathode materials were synthesized by simple solution technique. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and thermogravimetric–differential thermal analysis. Their electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, four-point probe conductivity measurements, and galvanostatic charge and discharge tests. The carbon-coated and Yb³⁺-doped LiFePO4 sample exhibited an enhanced electronic conductivity of 1.9 × 10^?3 Scm^?1, and a specific discharge capacity of 146 mAhg^?1 at 0.1 C. The results suggest that the improvement of the electrochemical performance can be attributed to the ytterbium doping, which facilitates the phase transformation between triphylite and heterosite during cycling, and the conductivity improvement by carbon coating.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of nanostructured LiCoO2 fibers as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Nanostructured LiCoO2 fibers were prepared by the sol-gel related electrospinning technique using metal acetate and citric acid as starting materials. The transformation from the xerogel fibers to the LiCoO2 fibers and the nanostructure of LiCoO2 fibers have been investigated in detail. The LiCoO2 fibers with 500 nm to 2 mum in diameter were composed of polycrystalline nanoparticles in sizes of 20-35 nm. Cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge experiments were applied to characterize the electrochemical properties of the fibers as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The cyclic voltammogram curves indicated faster diffusion and migration of Li+ cations in the nanostructured LiCoO2 fiber electrode. In the first charge-discharge process, the LiCoO2 fibers showed the initial charge and discharge capacities of 216 and 182 (mA.h)/g, respectively. After the 20th cycle, the discharge capacity decreased to 123 (mA.h)/g. The X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses indicated that the large loss of capacity of fiber electrode during the charge-discharge process might mainly result from the dissolution of cobalt and lithium cations escaping from LiCoO2 to form the crystalline Li2CO3 and CoF2 impurities.     

Enhanced performance of organic materials for lithium-ion batteries using facile electrode calendaring techniques

A simple and convenient strategy for achieving higher capacities in organic electrode materials used in pouch-cell format is presented here. By calendaring of the electrodes, the resulting electrode porosity can be tailored. It is shown for carboxylate electrodes of dilithium benzenediacrylate that a 30% porosity constitutes the best compromise between electronic wiring, particle contact and electrolyte infiltration into the electrodes, displaying higher capacities than in Swagelock cells.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of spindle-like Li2FeSiO4-C composite as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this paper,we report on the preparation of Li_2FeSiO_4,sintered Li_2FeSiO_4,and Li_2FeSiO_4-C composite with spindle-like morphologies and their application as cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries.Spindle-like Li2FeSi04 was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method with(NH_4)_2Fe(SO_4)_2 as the iron source.The spindle-like Li_2FeSiO_4 was sintered at 600 ℃ for 6 h in Ar atmosphere.Li_2FeSiO_4-C composite was obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of spindle-like Li_2FeSiO_4 in glucose solution at 190 ℃ for 3 h.Electrochemical measurements show that after carbon coating,the electrode performances such as discharge capacity and high-rate capability are greatly enhanced.In particular.Li_2FeSiO_4-C with carbon content of 7.21 wt%delivers the discharge capacities of 160.9 mAh·g~(-1) at room temperature and 213 mAh·g~(-1) at45℃(0.1 C),revealing the potential application in lithium-ion batteries.