PVP-Assisted ZrO2 coating on LiMn2O4 spinel cathode nanoparticles prepared by MnO2 nanowire templates

LiMn₂O₄ spinel nanorods prepared from nanowire MnO₂ templates were capped with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and coated with ZrC₂O₄ precursors in aqueous solution. Upon annealing at 600 °C in air, an amorphous ZrO₂ nanoscale coating layer was obtained on the spinel nanoparticles with a particle size of <100 nm that formed from the splitting of the original spinel nanorods. The electrochemical cycling results clearly showed that nanoscale ZrO₂ coating significantly improved the rate capability and cycle life at 65 °C in spite of very high surface area of the spinel nanoparticles.