Effects of gradient concentration on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode materials

doi:10.1007/s11705-020-1918-9

Front. Chem. Sci. Eng.

2020, Vol. 14

Issue (6) : 988-996 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-020-1918-9

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effects of gradient concentration on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ cathode materials

Wenming Li, Weijian Tang, Maoqin Qiu, Qiuge Zhang, Muhammad Irfan, Zeheng Yang(

), Weixin Zhang(

)

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China

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Abstract

Nickel(Ni)-rich layered materials have attracted considerable interests as promising cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their higher capacities and lower cost. Nevertheless, Mn-rich cathode materials usually suffer from poor cyclability caused by the unavoidable side-reactions between Ni⁴⁺ ions on the surface and electrolytes. The design of gradient concentration (GC) particles with Ni-rich inside and Mn-rich outside is proved to be an efficient way to address the issue. Herein, a series of LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ (LNCM622) materials with different GCs (the atomic ratio of Ni/Mn decreasing from the core to the outer layer) have been successfully synthesized via rationally designed co-precipitation process. Experimental results demonstrate that the GC of LNCM622 materials plays an important role in their microstructure and electrochemical properties. The as-prepared GC3.5 cathode material with optimal GC can provide a shorter pathway for lithium-ion diffusion and stabilize the near-surface region, and finally achieve excellent electrochemical performances, delivering a discharge capacity over 176 mAh·g⁻¹ at 0.2 C rate and exhibiting capacity retention up to 94% after 100 cycles at 1 C. The rationally-designed co-precipitation process for fabricating the Ni-rich layered cathode materials with gradient composition lays a solid foundation for the preparation of high-performance cathode materials for LIBs.

Keywords gradient concentration Ni-rich LiNi_0.6Co_0.2-Mn_0.2O₂ electrochemical performance lithium-ion battery

Corresponding Author(s): Zeheng Yang,Weixin Zhang

Online First Date: 09 April 2020 Issue Date: 11 September 2020

Cite this article:

Wenming Li,Weijian Tang,Maoqin Qiu, et al. Effects of gradient concentration on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ cathode materials[J]. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng., 2020, 14(6): 988-996.

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http://journal.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/10.1007/s11705-020-1918-9
http://journal.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/Y2020/V14/I6/988

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	Wenming Li
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	Muhammad Irfan
	Zeheng Yang
	Weixin Zhang

Fig.1 Schematic illustration of the GC cathode materials particle.

Fig.2 Schematic setup for preparation of the GC and CC Ni_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2(OH)₂ precursors.

Tab.1 Experimental?conditions for GC and CC Ni_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2(OH)₂ precursors

Fig.3 XRD patterns of the GC and CC LNCM622 samples.

Fig.4 FESEM images of four Ni_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2(OH)₂ precursors (left column) and the corresponding LNCM622 products (right column). (a, e) CC, (b, f) GC2.75, (c, g) GC3.5 and (d, h) GC5.

Fig.5 (a) The Line-scanning EDS, (b) EDS spectra and (c) EDS mapping of the GC3.5 single particle.

Fig.6 (a) Distribution of particle size and (b) bar chart of the tap density of CC and GCs LNCM622 samples.

Fig.7 Electrochemical performances of CC and GC cathode materials between 2.8 and 4.3 V at 25°C: (a) initial charge-discharge curves, (b) rate capability, (c) cycling performance, (d) cyclic voltammogram (CV) curves at 0.1 mV·s⁻¹.

Fig.8 Nyquist impedance plots of the CC2 and GC3.5 cathode materials.

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