Template-determined microstructure and electrochemical performances of Li-rich layered metal oxide cathode

This report unravels the dependence of the microstructure and electrochemical performances of Li-rich layered transition metal oxide (LLMO) on the molecular structure of polymer templates for the formation of oxalate precursor. A representative LLMO, Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 , is synthesized by co-precipitation method, and three samples, LLMO-PVP, LLMO-PEG and LLMO-PVA, are obtained with polymer templates, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), respectively. The physical and chemical properties of the resulting products are analyzed with SEM, TEM , XRD , BET, ICP , and XPS , and their electrochemical performances as cathode of Li-ion battery are evaluated with EIS , GITT and charge/discharge tests. It is found that LLMO-PVP exhibits the best performances, followed by LLMO-PEG, while LLMO-PVA behaves poorest. This difference is ascribed to the various microstructures of the resulting products, which are determined by the molecular structure of polymer templates.