Synthesis and electrochemical properties of yttrium-doped LiMn<Subscript>0.98</Subscript>Y<Subscript>0.02</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> for lithium secondary batteries

Yttrium-doped lithium manganese oxide (LiMn_0.98Y_0.02O₂) was prepared by ion exchange of lithium for sodium in NaMn_0.98Y_0.02O₂ precursors obtained by using rheological phase reaction method. This material had small particle size, which was composed of grain size of about 100 nm. Especially, LiMn_0.98Y_0.02O₂ delivered the initial discharge capacity of about 191 mA h g⁻¹ at room temperature when cycled between 2.0 and 4.4 V vs Li/Li⁺. Moreover, it showed an excellent cycling behavior, its specific capacity remained above 173 mA h g⁻¹ after 20 cycles, and the material did not transform into spinel structure during the electrochemical cycling according to the cyclic voltammograms and X-ray powder diffraction. The electrochemical results revealed that the doping of Y³⁺ improved the performance of LiMnO₂ considerably.     

Preparation of spherical spinel LiMn2O4 cathode material for lithium ion batteries

A novel process is proposed for synthesis of spinel LiMn₂O₄ with spherical particles from the inexpensive materials MnSO₄, NH₄HCO₃, and NH₃H₂O. The successful preparation started with carefully controlled crystallization of MnCO₃, leading to particles of spherical shape and high tap density. Thermal decomposition of MnCO₃ was investigated by both DTA and TG analysis and XRD analysis of products. A precursor of product, spherical Mn₂O₃, was then obtained by heating MnCO₃. A mixture of Mn₂O₃ and Li₂CO₃ was then sintered to produce LiMn₂O₄ with retention of spherical particle shape. It was found that if lithium was in stoichiometric excess of 5% in the calcination of spinel LiMn₂O₄, the product had the largest initial specific capacity. In this way spherical particles of spinel LiMn₂O₄ were of excellent fluidity and dispersivity, and had a tap density as high as 1.9 g cm^–3 and an initial discharge capacity reaching 125 mAh g^–1. When surface-doped with cobalt in a 0.01 Co/Mn mole ratio, although the initial discharge capacity decreased to 118 mAh g^–1, the 100th cycle capacity retention reached 92.4% at 25°C. Even at 55°C the initial discharge capacity reached 113 mAh g^–1 and the 50th cycle capacity retention was in excess of 83.8%.     

Morphology-controllable synthesis of LiMn2O4 particles as cathode materials of lithium batteries

We reported a new method for the preparation of morphology-controllable LiMn₂O₄ particles. In this method, dimension-different MnO₂ nanowires synthesized hydrothermally by adjusting the reaction temperature were used as the precursor. The morphology and structure of the resulting products were characterized with scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction, and the performances of the prepared LiMn₂O₄ samples as cathode material of lithium batteries were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge test. The results indicate that the morphology of LiMn₂O₄ transforms from tridimensional particle (TP) to unidimensional rod (UR) through quadrate lamina (QL) with increasing the diameter and length of MnO₂ nanowires. Although the cyclic stabilities of LiMn₂O₄-TP, LiMn₂O₄-QL, and LiMn₂O₄-UR are very close (the 0.1 C capacity after 50 cycles is 101, 93, and 99 mAh g^?1 at 25 °C, and 84, 78, and 82 mAh g^?1 at 50 °C, respectively), LiMn₂O₄-QL delivers much higher rate capacity (about 70 mAh g^?1 at 5 C and 30 mAh g^?1 at 10 C) than LiMn₂O₄-TP and LiMn₂O₄-UR (about 20 mAh g^?1 at 5 C, 3 mAh g^?1 at 10 C, 25 mAh g^?1 at 5 C, and 3 mAh g^?1 at 10 C).     

Synthesis and characterization of submicron size particles of LiMn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> by microemulsion route

Among the various positive electrode materials investigated for Li-ion batteries, spinel LiMn₂O₄ is one of the most important materials. Small particles of the active materials facilitate high-rate capability due to large surface to mass ratio and small diffusion path length. The present work involves the synthesis of submicron size particles of LiMn₂O₄ in a quaternary microemulsion medium. The precursor obtained from the reaction is heated at different temperatures in the range from 400 to 900 °C. The samples heated at 800 and 900 °C are found to possess pure spinel phase with particle size <200 nm, as evidenced from XRD, SEM, and TEM studies. The electrochemical characterization studies provide discharge capacity values of about 100 mAh g⁻¹ at C/5 rate, and there is a moderate decrease in capacity by increasing the rate of charge–discharge cycling. Studies also include charge–discharge cycling and ac impedance studies in temperature range from −10 to 40 °C. Impedance data are analyzed with the help of an equivalent circuit and a nonlinear least squares fitting program. From temperature dependence of charge-transfer resistance, a value of 0.62 eV is obtained for the activation energy of Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ redox process, which accompanies the intercalation/deintercalation of the Li⁺ ion in LiMn₂O₄.     

Comparison of different soft chemical routes synthesis of submicro-LiMn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> and their influence on its electrochemical properties

A comparative study of submicro-crystalline spinel LiMn₂O₄ powders prepared by two different soft chemical routes such as hydrothermal and sol–gel methods is made. The dependence of the physicochemical properties of the spinel LiMn₂O₄ powder has been extensively investigated by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, cyclic voltammogram, charge–discharge test, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the electrochemical performances of spinel LiMn₂O₄ depend strongly upon the synthesis method. The LiMn₂O₄ powder prepared by hydrothermal route has higher specific capacity and better cycling performance than the one synthesized from sol–gel method. The former has the max discharge capacity of 114.36 and 99.78 mAh g⁻¹ at the 100th cycle, while the latter has the max discharge capacity of 98.67 and 60.25 mAh g⁻¹ at the 100th cycle. The selected equivalent circuit can fit well the EIS results of synthesized LiMn₂O₄. For spinel LiMn₂O₄ from sol–gel method and hydrothermal route in the first charge process R _SEI remain almost invariable, R _e and R _ct first decreasing and then increasing with the increase of polarization potential.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of sulfur doped-LixMnO2−ySy materials for lithium secondary batteries

Sulfur doped lithium manganese oxides (Li_xMnO_2−yS_y) were prepared by ion exchange of sodium for lithium in Na_xMnO_2−yS_y precursors obtained by a sol–gel method. These materials had the nano-crystallite size, which was composed of grain size of about 100–200 nm. Especially, Li_0.56MnO_1.98S_0.02 delivered the initial discharge capacity of 170 mAh g⁻¹ and gradually increased the discharge capacity of 220 mAh g⁻¹ until 50 cycles. Moreover, it showed an excellent cycling behavior, although its original structure transformed into the spinel phase during cycling.     

Nanocrystalline ZnMn2O4 as a novel lithium-storage material

Nanocrystalline ZnMn₂O₄ is prepared by a polymer-pyrolysis route and used as a novel anode for lithium ion batteries. XRD and HRTEM studies reveal that the products are highly phase-pure and 30–60 nm in size. Galvanostatic cycling of ZnMn₂O₄ electrode at 100 mA g⁻¹ (about 0.52 mA cm⁻²) between 0.01 and 3.0 V up to 50 cycles exhibits almost stable cycling performance between 10 and 50 cycles with only an average capacity fade of 0.20% per cycle and the electrode still maintains a capacity of 569 mAh g⁻¹ after 50 cycles.     

Electrochemical properties of LiMn2O4 films produced by combustion reaction

Lithium manganese oxide powders were prepared via combustion reaction. Structural characterization of the powder using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of a LiMn₂O₄ nanosized powder. LiMn₂O₄ films were prepared by spin coating using 80 wt% of oxide, 15 wt% of polyaniline (PAni) as an electronic conductor and 5 wt% of polyvinylidene (PVDF) as a binder in N.N.-dimethyl acetamide. A Coulombic efficiency of 96% confirmed the electrochemical stability of the composite. The variation in impedance as a function of the lithium intercalation/deintercalation process reflected the interaction between the oxide and/or polyaniline particles at a high frequency range, and a diffusion tendency was observed at medium and low frequency ranges. The capacity values of the composite electrodes relative to the LiMn₂O₄ mass were 178.6/177.5 and 145/140 mAh g⁻¹ for the first and 25th charge/discharge cycles, respectively.     

The effect of Al substitution on the reactivity of delithiated LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co(1/3−z)AlzO2 with non-aqueous electrolyte

The high temperature reactions between 1 M LiPF₆ EC:DEC and Al-doped LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_(1/3−z)Al_zO₂ charged to 4.3 V were studied by accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC) and compared with those of charged LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O₂ and LiMn₂O₄. Al substitution for Co in LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O₂ improves the thermal stability. Materials with z > 0.06 are less reactive with electrolyte than spinel LiMn₂O₄ at all temperatures studied. The maximum self-heating rate (SHR) attained and the specific capacity decrease as the Al content increases. There is a range of compositions near z = 0.1 that show excellent promise as materials which are both safer than and more energy dense than spinel LiMn₂O₄.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of nanostructured LiAl x Mn2 − x O4 − y Br y particles

Nanostructured LiAl _x Mn_2 − x O_4 − y Br _y particles were synthesized successfully by annealing the mixed precursors, which were prepared by room-temperature solid-state coordination method using lithium acetate, manganese acetate, lithium bromide, aluminum nitrate, citric acid, and polyethylene glycol 400 as starting materials. X-ray diffractometer patterns indicated that the particles of the as-synthesized samples are well-crystallized pure spinel phase. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the LiAl _x Mn_2 − x O_4 − y Br _y samples consist of small-sized nanoparticles. The results of galvanostatic cycling tests revealed that the initial discharge capacity of LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_3.95Br_0.05 is 119 mAh g⁻¹; after the 100th cycle, its discharge capacity still remains at 92 mAh g⁻¹. The introduction of Al and Br in LiMn₂O₄ bring a synergetic effect and is quite effective in increasing the capacity and elevating cycling performance.     

Comparison of different soft chemical routes synthesis of nanocrystalline LiMn2O4 and their influence on its physicochemical properties

A comparative study of nanocrystalline spinel LiMn₂O₄ powders prepared by two different soft chemical routes such as solution and sol-gel methods using lithium and manganese acetates are the precursors under different calcination temperatures. The dependence of the physicochemical properties of the spinel LiMn₂O₄ powder has been extensively investigated by using thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), FTIR, X-ray diffraction studies, SEM, specific surface area (BET) and electrical conductivity measurements. The results show that pure LiMn₂O₄ can be prepared from acetate precursors as starting materials at a low temperature of 600°C from solution route and 500°C from sol-gel method. The charge-discharge characteristics and the cycling behavior of Li/1M LiBF₄-EC/DEC electrolyte / LiMn₂O₄cells revealed that LiMn₂O₄ calcined at higher temperatures showed a high initial capacity, while the LiMn₂O₄calcined at lower temperatures exhibited a good cycling behavior.     

石墨烯/尖晶石LiMn2O4纳米复合材料制备及电化学性能

采用溶胶凝胶法和还原氧化石墨法制备尖晶石LiMn2O4纳米晶和石墨烯纳米片,并采用冷冻干燥法制备了石墨烯/尖晶石LiMn2O4纳米复合材料,利用XRD、SEM、AFM等对其结构及表面形貌进行表征;利用CV、充放电、EIS研究纳米复合材料的电化学性能和电极过程动力学特征。结果表明:纳米LiMn2O4电极材料及其石墨烯掺杂纳米复合材料的放电比容量分别为107.16 mAh.g-1,124.30 mAh.g-1,循环100周后,对应容量保持率为74.31%和96.66%,石墨烯可显著改善尖晶石LiMn2O4电极材料的电化学性能,归结于其良好的导电性。纳米复合材料EIS上感抗的产生与半导体尖晶石LiMn2O4不均匀地分布在石墨烯膜表面所造成局域浓差有关,并提出了感抗产生的模型。     

Layered xLiMO2·(1−x)Li2M′O3 electrodes for lithium batteries: a study of 0.95LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2·0.05Li2TiO3

The electrochemical properties of 0.95LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂·0.05Li₂TiO₃ have been investigated as part of a study of xLiMO₂·(1−x)Li₂M^′O₃ electrode systems for lithium batteries in which M=Co, Ni, Mn and M^′=Ti, Zr, Mn. The data indicate that the electrochemically inactive Li₂TiO₃ component contributes to the stabilization of LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂ electrodes, which improves the coulombic efficiency of Li/xLiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂·(1−x)Li₂TiO₃ cells for x<1. The 0.95LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂·0.05Li₂TiO₃ electrodes provide a rechargeable capacity of approximately 175 mAh/g at 50 °C when cycled between 4.6 and 2.5 V; there is no indication of spinel formation during electrochemical cycling.     

Electrochemical properties of tetravalent Ti-doped spinel LiMn2O4

Ti-doped spinel LiMn₂O₄ is synthesized by solid-state reaction. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the structure of the doped sample is Li( Mn^{3 +} Mn_{1 - x} ^{4 +} Ti_x^{4 +} )O₄ {\hbox{Li}}\left( {{\hbox{M}}{{\hbox{n}}^{3 + }}{\hbox{Mn}}_{1 - x\,}^{4 + }{\hbox{Ti}}_x^{4 + }} \right){\hbox{O}}{}_4 . The first principle-based calculation shows that the lattice energy increases as Ti doping content increases, which indicates that Ti doping reinforces the stability of the spinel structure. The galvanostatic charge–discharge results show that the doped sample LiMn_1.97Ti_0.03O₄ exhibits maximum discharge capacity of 135.7 mAh g⁻¹ (C/2 rate). Moreover, after 70 cycles, the capacity retention of LiMn_1.97Ti_0.03O₄ is 95.0% while the undoped sample LiMn₂O₄ shows only 84.6% retention under the same condition. Additionally, as charge–discharge rate increases to 12C, the doped sample delivers the capacity of 107 mAh g⁻¹, which is much higher than that of the undoped sample of only 82 mAh g⁻¹. The significantly enhanced capacity retention and rate capability are attributed to the more stable spinel structure, higher ion diffusion coefficient, and lower charge transfer resistance of the Ti-doped spinel.     

NMR and FT-IR Investigation of Spinel LiMn2O4 Cathode Prepared by the Tartaric Acid Gel Process

The structure of the lithium manganese tartrate precursor and the synthesis mechanism of LiMn₂O₄ were investigated by FT-IR, NMR, TG/DSC, and XRD in this study. The results of FT-IR and ⁷Li and ¹³C NMR measurements revealed that lithium ions bond with carboxylic acid ligands and the O–H stretching modes of tartaric acid. Manganese ion bonds only with carboxylic acid. Lithium and manganese ions were trapped homogeneously on an atomic scale throughout the precursor. Such a structure eliminates the need for long-range diffusion during the formation of lithium manganese oxides. Therefore, spinel LiMn₂O₄ was synthesized at temperatures as low as 300°C. In this work, the electrochemical properties of Li/Li_xMn₂O₄ were studied. It is clear that the discharge curves exhibit two pseudo plateaus as the LiMn₂O₄ is fired to higher temperatures. The discharge capacity of LiMn₂O₄ increases from 84 to 117 mAh/g as the calcination temperature increases from 300 to 500°C. The LiMn₂O₄ powders calcined at low temperatures with a high specific surface area and an average valence of manganese exhibit a better cycle life.     

High-temperature combustion synthesis and electrochemical characterization of LiNiO2, LiCoO2 and LiMn2O4 for lithium-ion secondary batteries

Lithium nickelate (Li_0.88Ni_1.12O₂), lithium cobaltate (LiCoO₂) and lithium manganate (LiMn₂O₄) were synthesized by fast self-propagating high-temperature combustion and their phase purity and composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviour of these oxides was investigated with regard to potential use as cathode materials in lithium-ion secondary batteries. The cyclic voltammograms of these cathode materials recorded in 1 M LiClO₄ in propylene carbonate at scan rates of 0.1 and 0.01 mV s^–1 showed a single set of redox peaks. Charge-discharge capacities of these materials were calculated from the cyclic voltammograms at different scan rates. The highest discharge capacity was observed in the case of Li_0.88Ni_1.12O₂. In all the cases, at a very slow scan rate (0.01 mV s^–1) the capacity of the charging (oxidation) process was higher than the discharging (reduction) process. A strong influence of current density on the charge-discharge capacity was observed during galvanostatic cycling of Li_0.88Ni_1.12O₂ and LiMn₂O₄ cathode materials. LiMn₂O₄ can be used as cathode material even at higher current densities (1.0 mA cm^–2), whereas in the case of Li_0.88Ni_1.12O₂ a useful capacity was found only at lower current density (0.2 mA cm^–2). For the fast estimation of the cycling behaviour of LiMn₂O₄, a screening method was used employing a simple technique for immobilizing microparticles on an electrode surface. Electronic Publication     

Ge4+、Sn4+掺杂尖晶石LiMn2O4的合成与电化学表征

使用Ge⁴⁺、Sn⁴⁺作为掺杂离子, 通过高温固相法制备四价阳离子掺杂改性的尖晶石LiMn₂O₄材料. X射线衍射(XRD)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析表明, Ge⁴⁺离子取代尖晶石中Mn⁴⁺离子形成了LiMn_2-xGe_xO₄ (x=0.02,0.04, 0.06)固溶体; 而Sn⁴⁺离子则以SnO₂的形式存在于尖晶石LiMn₂O₄的颗粒表面. Ge⁴⁺离子掺入到尖晶石LiMn₂O₄材料中, 抑制了锂离子在尖晶石中的有序化排列, 提高了尖晶石LiMn₂O₄的结构稳定性; 而在尖晶石颗粒表面的SnO₂可以减少电解液中酸的含量, 抑制酸对LiMn₂O₄活性材料的侵蚀. 恒电流充放电测试表明, 两种离子改性后材料的容量保持率均有较大幅度的提升, 有利于促进尖晶石型LiMn₂O₄锂离子电池正极材料的商业化生产.     

ZrO2- and Li2ZrO3-stabilized spinel and layered electrodes for lithium batteries

Strategies for countering the solubility of LiMn₂O₄ (spinel) electrodes at 50 °C and for suppressing the reactivity of layered LiMO₂ (M=Co, Ni, Mn, Li) electrodes at high potentials are discussed. Surface treatment of LiMn₂O₄ with colloidal zirconia (ZrO₂) dramatically improves the cycling stability of the spinel electrode at 50 °C in Li/LiMn₂O₄ cells. ZrO₂-coated LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂ electrodes provide a superior capacity and cycling stability to uncoated electrodes when charged to a high potential (4.6 V vs Li⁰). The use of Li₂ZrO₃, which is structurally more compatible with spinel and layered electrodes than ZrO₂ and which can act as a Li⁺-ion conductor, has been evaluated in composite 0.03Li₂ZrO₃ · 0.97LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂ electrodes; glassy Li_xZrO_2 + x/2 (0<x⩽2) products can be produced from colloidal ZrO₂ for surface coatings.     

One-Step Route to Fe2O3 and FeSe2 Nanoparticles Loaded on Carbon-Sheet for Lithium Storage

Iron-based anode materials, such as Fe₂O₃ and FeSe₂ have attracted widespread attention for lithium-ion batteries due to their high capacities. However, the capacity decays seriously because of poor conductivity and severe volume expansion. Designing nanostructures combined with carbon are effective means to improve cycling stability. In this work, ultra-small Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles loaded on a carbon framework were synthesized through a one-step thermal decomposition of the commercial C₁₅H₂₁FeO₆ [Iron (III) acetylacetonate], which could be served as the source of Fe, O, and C. As an anode material, the Fe₂O₃@C anode delivers a specific capacity of 747.8 mAh g⁻¹ after 200 cycles at 200 mA g⁻¹ and 577.8 mAh g⁻¹ after 365 cycles at 500 mA g⁻¹. When selenium powder was introduced into the reaction system, the FeSe₂ nano-rods encapsulated in the carbon shell were obtained, which also displayed a relatively good performance in lithium storage capacity (852 mAh g⁻¹ after 150 cycles under the current density of 100 mA·g⁻¹). This study may provide an alternative way to prepare other carbon-composited metal compounds, such as FeN_x@C, FeP_x@C, and FeS_x@C, and found their applications in the field of electrochemistry.     

二价与四价金属离子等摩尔共掺杂的锂离子电池正极材料LiMn1.9Mg0.05Ti0.05O4的制备与表征

以氢氧化锂、乙酸锰、硝酸镁和钛酸丁酯为原料, 以柠檬酸为螯合剂, 采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了二价镁离子与四价钛离子等摩尔共掺杂的尖晶石型锂离子电池正极材料LiMn_1.9Mg_0.05Ti_0.05O₄. 采用热重分析(TGA), X射线衍射(XRD), 扫描电子显微镜(SEM), 透射电子显微镜(TEM)和电化学性能测试(包括循环伏安(CV)和电化学交流阻抗谱(EIS)测试)对所得样品的结构、形貌及电化学性能进行了表征. 结果表明: 780℃下煅烧12 h 得到了颗粒均匀细小的尖晶石型结构的LiMn_1.9Mg_0.05Ti_0.05O₄材料, 该材料具有良好的电化学性能, 在室温下以0.5C倍率充放电, 在4.35-3.30 V电位范围内放电比容量达到126.8 mAh·g^-1, 循环50 次后放电比容量仍为118.5mAh·g^-1, 容量保持率为93.5%. 在55℃高温下循环30次后的放电比容量为111.9 mAh·g^-1, 容量保持率达到91.9%, 远远高于未掺杂的LiMn₂O₄的容量保存率. 二价镁离子与四价钛离子等摩尔共掺杂LiMn₂O₄, 改善了尖晶石锰酸锂的电子导电和离子导电性能, 使其倍率性能和高温性能都得到了明显的提高.