• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.622-628
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• 2013

Nanocrystalline spinel lithium manganese oxide ($LiMn_2O_4$) powders with narrow-size-distribution, pure-phase particles, and high crystallinity with an average crystallite size of about 70 nm were synthesized at $600^{\circ}C$ for 6 h in air by freeze drying method. Spinel $LiMn_2O_4$ is also prepared by sol-gel using citric acid as a chelating agent. The influence of different parameters such as pH conditions, solvent, molar ratio of citric acid to total metal ions, calcination temperature, starting material on the structure, morphology and purity of this oxide was investigated. The results of sol-gel method show that pure $LiMn_2O_4$ with average crystallite size of about 130 nm can be produced from nitrate salts as starting materials at $800^{\circ}C$ for 6 h in air. The optimum pH and molar ratio of chelating agent to total metal ions are $4{\leq}pH{\leq}6$ and 1.0, respectively. A possible mechanism on the formation of the nanocrystallines synthesized by sol-gel was also discussed. At the end a comparison of the differences between two methods was made on the basis of x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) tests.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.59-62
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• 2013

Spinel $LiMn_{1.5}Ni_{0.5}O_4$ cathode powders with different morphologies were synthesized by a co-precipitation method using oxalic acid. The calcination temperature affected the morphologies, crystalline structure and electrochemical properties of the $LiMn_{1.5}Ni_{0.5}O_4$ powders. The $LiMn_{1.5}Ni_{0.5}O_4$ powders obtained at a calcination temperature of $850^{\circ}C$ exhibited the highest initial discharge capacity with good capacity retention and high rate capability.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2012

Spherical lithium manganese oxide spinel, $LiMn_{2-x}M_xO_4$ (M = Al, Mg, B) prepared by wet-milling, spray-drying, and sintering process has been investigated as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries. As-prepared powders exhibit various surface morphologies and internal density in terms of boron (B) doping level. It is found that the dopant B drives the growth of the primary particle and minimizes the surface area of the powder. As a result, the dopant enhances the internal density of the particles. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the capacity of the synthesized material at 5 C could be maintained up to 90% of that at 0.2 C. The cycle performance of the material showed that the initial capacity was retained up to 80% even after 500 cycles under the high temperature of $60^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.131-137
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• 2004

Sol-gel method which provides better electrochemical and physiochemical properties compared to the solid-state method was used to synthesize the material of $LiFe_yMn_{2-y}O_4$. Fe was substituted to increase the structural stability so that the effects of the substitution amount and sintering temperature were analyzed. XRD was used for the structural analysis of produced material, which in turn, showed the same cubic spinel structure as $LiMn_2O_4$ despite the substitution of $Fe^{3+}$. During the synthesis of $LiFe_yMn_{2-y}O_4$, as the sintering temperature and the doping amount of Fe(y=0.05, 0.1, 0.2)were increased, grain growth proceeded which in turn, showed a high crystalline and a large grain size, certain morphology with narrow specific surface area and large pore volume distribution was observed. In order to examine the ability for the practical use of the battery, charge-discharge tests were undertaken. When the substitution amount of $Fe^{3+}\;into\;LiMn_2O_4$ increased, the initial discharge capacity showed a tendency to decrease within the region of $3.0\~4.2V$ but when charge-discharge processes were repeated, other capacity maintenance properties turned out to be outstanding. In addition, when the sintering temperature was $800\~850^{\circ}C$, the initial capacity was small but showed very stable cycle performance. According to EVS(electrochemical voltage spectroscopy) test, $LiFe_yMn_{2-y}O_4(y=0,\;0.05,\;0.1,\;0.2)$ showed two plateau region and the typical peaks of manganese spinel structure when the substitution amount of $Fe^{3+}$ increased, the peak value at about 4.15V during the charge-discharge process showed a tendency to decrease. From the previous results, the local distortion due to the biphase within the region near 4.15V during the lithium extraction gave a phase transition to a more suitable single phase. When the transition was derived, the discharge capacity decreased. However the cycle performance showed an outstanding result.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2573-2576
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• 2013

Rate capability and cyclability of $LiMn_2O_4$ should be improved in order to use it as a cathode material of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid-electric-vehicles (HEV). To enhance the rate capability and cyclability of $LiMn_2O_4$, it was coated with $MnV_2O_6$ by a sol-gel method. A $V_2O_5$ sol was prepared by a melt-quenching method and the $LiMn_2O_4$ coated with the sol was heat-treated to obtain the $MnV_2O_6$ coating layer. Crystal structure and morphology of the samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM. The electrochemical performances, including cyclability at $60^{\circ}C$, and rate capability of the bare and the coated $LiMn_2O_4$ were measured and compared. Overall, $MnV_2O_6$ coating on $LiMn_2O_4$ improves the cyclability at high temperature and rate capability at room temperature at the cost of discharge capacity. The improvement in cyclability at high temperature and the enhanced rate capability is believed to come from the reduced contact between the electrode, and electrolyte and higher electric conductivity of the coating layer. However, a dramatic decrease in discharge capacity would make it impractical to increase the coating amount above 3 wt %.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.50-56
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• 2016

Spherical lithium manganese oxide spinel, $Li_{1.10}Mn_{1.86}Al_{0.02}Mg_{0.02}O_4$ was prepared by wet-milling, spray-drying, and sintering process. In the spray-drying process, solid content in slurry was varied from 20 to 30 wt%. In the sintering process, the precursors have been sintered under air or $O_2$ atmosphere. While the as-prepared samples exhibit excellent electrochemical properties at room temperature, the discharge voltage profiles at 5.0C are very different one from another. The origin for the difference especially at initial state of discharge is oxygen defect. The sample prepared in air has larger capacity related to the plateau at 3.3 V (vs. $Li/Li^+$) which is caused by the oxygen defects than the one prepared in $O_2$. The difference of discharge voltage profiles especially at the final state of discharge comes from different diffusion rate of $Li^+$ ions. The sample prepared from 30 wt% solid content of slurry shows twice higher diffusion rate than the samples prepared from 20 wt% solid content, which is attributed to better compactness between primary particles for the sample prepared from 30wt % solid content than the one prepared by 20 wt%.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.4660-4665
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• 2011

New precursors as a Li adsorbent, $Li_{1.6}(MnM)_{1.6}O_4$ (M=Cu, Ni, Co, Fe), were synthesized by hydrothermal method and their physicochemical properties were discussed. XRD and HRTEM results revealed that the original spinel structure was stabilized by cobalt-doping while Cu-, Ni- and Fe-doping led to structural changes. Such a structural stabilization by Cobalt-doping was maintained after lithium leaching by acid treatment. Li absorption efficiency from seawater was significantly enhanced by using the Cobalt-doped spinel manganese oxide, $Li_{1.6}[MnCo]_{1.6}O_4$, compared to the commercially available $Li_{1.33}Mn_{1.67}O_4$; the adsorbed amount of Li from 1g-adsorbent was 35 and 16 mg by $Li_{1.6}[MnCo]_{1.6}O_4$, and $Li_{1.33}Mn_{1.67}O_4$, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.712-717
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• 2002

New wet chemical method so called precipitation-evaporation method was suggested for preparing spinel structure lithium manganese oxide ($LiMn_2$$O_4$) for Li ion secondary battery. Using precipitation-evaporation method, $LiMn_2$$O_4$ cathode materials suitable for Li ion secondary batteries can be synthesized. Single spinel phase $LiMn_2$$O_4$ powder was synthesized at lower temperature compared to that of prepared by solid-state method. $LiMn_2$$O_4$ powder prepared by precipitation-evaporation method showed uniform, small size and well defined crystallinity particles. Li ion secondary battery using $LiMn_2$$O_4$ as cathode materials prepared by precipitation-evaporation method and calcined at $800^{\circ}C$ showed discharge capacity of 106.03mAh/g and discharge capacity of 95.60mAh/g at 10th cycle. Although Li ion secondary battery showed somewhat smaller initial capacity but good cyclic ability. It is suggested that electro-chemical properties can be improved by controlling particle characteristics by particle morphology modification during calcination and optimizing Li ion secondary battery assembly conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2009

An indium-tin oxide (ITO) coated spinel manganese oxide (${LiMn_2}{O_4}$, LMO) is prepared and its high-temperature ($55^{\circ}C$) cycle performance and rate capability are examined. A severe electrolyte decomposition and film deposition is observed on the un-coated ${LiMn_2}{O_4}$ cathode, which leads to a significant electrode polarization and capacity fading. Such an electrode polarization is, however, greatly reduced for the ITO-coated (> 2 mol%) LMO cathode, which leads to an improved cycle performance. This can be rationalized by a suppression of electrolyte decomposition, which is in turn indebted to a decrease in the direct contact area between LMO and electrolyte. The suppression of film deposition on the ITO-coated LMO cathode is confirmed by infra-red spectroscopy. The rate capability is also improved by the surface coating, which may be resulted from a suppression of resistive film deposition and high electric conductivity of ITO itself.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.172-180
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• 2012

The $LiMn_2O_4$ cathodes for lithium ion battery were synthesized from various precursors of manganese oxides and manganese hydroxides. As the first step, nanosized precursors such as ${\alpha}-MnO_2$ (nano-sticks), ${\beta}-MnO_2$ (nano-rods), $Mn_3O_4$ (nano-octahedra), amorphous $MnO_2$(nano-spheres), and $Mn(OH)_2$ (nano-plates) were prepared by a hydrothermal or a precipitation method. Spinel $LiMn_2O_4$ with various sizes and shapes were finally synthesized by a solid-state reaction method from the manganese precursors and LiOH. Nano-sized (500 nm) octahedron $LiMn_2O_4$ showed high capacities of 107 mAh $g^{-1}$ and 99 mAh $g^{-1}$ at 1 C- and 50 C-rate, respectively. Three dimensional octahedral crystallites exhibit superior electrochemical characteristics to the other one-dimensional and two-dimensional shaped $LiMn_2O_4$ nanoparticles. After 500 consecutive charge discharge battery cycles at 10 C-rate with the nano-octahedron $LiMn_2O_4$ cathode, the capacity retention of 95% was observed, which is far better than any other morphologies studied in this work.