Lithium-Rich Li<sub>1.17</sub>Ni<sub>0.17</sub>Co<sub>0.17</sub>Mn<sub>0.5</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Cells: Effect of Calcination Temperature on Electrochemical Performance
Akhilash Mohanan Pillai, P. S. Salini, Bibin John, C. Suchithra, Sujatha SarojiniAmma, Mercy Thelakkattu Devassy
Abstract
High-capacity lithium-rich cathode materials become promising candidates for lithium-ion cells. The crystallinity and structural stability of the cathode materials affect their electrochemical properties. Using a simple carbonate co-precipitation method, we report better electrochemical performance for Li 1.17 Ni 0.17 Co 0.17 Mn 0.5 O 2 (NCMO) cathode material. Herein, we identified 950 °C as the optimum calcination temperature for the NCMO cathode material. The X-ray diffraction and SEM analyses revealed that the material synthesized at a high temperature possesses a well-crystallized layered structure. Electrochemical studies revealed that the cathode material synthesized at 950 °C (NCMO-950) delivered the highest discharge capacity of 240.9 mAhg –1 at C/10 rate. The NCMO-950 material maintained a Coulombic efficiency of ∼100% and capacity retention of 97.9% at the end of 100 cycles at C/10 rate, and the material also exhibited excellent rate performance (delivered a capacity of 142.6 mAhg –1 at 5C). Thus, it can be concluded that calcination temperature significantly impacts the structural stability and electrochemical performance of NCMO.