Hydrothermal synthesis of uniform nanosized lithium-rich cathode material Li0.94[Li0.14Ni0.26Mn0.60]O 2 for high power lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

A facile method of synthesising nanosized lithium-rich layered material with uniform particle size by a one-step hydrothermal approach has been developed. The effect of lithium ion concentration on hydrothermal products has been investigated. At low or high lithium ion concentration, products with poor layered characteristic were obtained. Under the optimum lithium ion concentration of 2.5 M, the obtained product has an Li0.94[Li 0.14Ni0.26Mn0.60]O2 stoichiometry with plate-like morphology and a uniform particle size of ~80 nm. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement indicates that it possesses a surface area of 35.60 m2 g-1. The electrochemical tests show that the as-prepared nanomaterial Li0.94[Li0.14Ni 0.26Mn0.60]O2 can acquire a high performance with an initial discharge capacity of 278 mAh g-1 at 30 mA g -1 and a corresponding capacity retention of 95% after 40 cycles. Moreover, it can even deliver 185 mAh g-1 at 1500 mA g-1, exhibiting excellent rate capability which makes it suitable for high power lithium-ion batteries. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2014.