The Electrochemical Properties of Cu Coated LiCr0.2V0.2Mn0.6O2 Nanocomposites for High Rate Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Several reported problems of commercial LiCoO2 electrode materials such as high cost, toxicity, limited rate capability and safety concerns are still remain to be problematic to develop the lithium ion consumer electronics such as mobile phones, tablets and notebook computers. In this study, an alternative nanocomposite electrode material based on LiCr0.2V0.2Mn0.6O2 and copper coated one were produced via a facile sol-gel method and electroless Cu deposition techniques. The resulting samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (Rigaku DMax 2200 diffractometer) using a monochromatized Cu-Ka source (lambda =1.5406 angstrom) and 2 theta scan range from 10 degrees to 80 degrees with a speed of 1 degrees min(-1). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used in order to characterize the morphology of the active materials. The as-synthesized Cu/LiCr0.2V0.2Mn0.6O2 composite cathode exhibits a stable capacity on cycling and good rate capability after 50 cycles and total capacity retention of 93% is obtained. The unique 2D structure of the composite cathode material, its good electrochemical performances and its relatively low cost comparing to LiCoO2, make this material very promising for applications.