A novel preparation method of active materials for the lithium secondary battery

Abstract

LiNi0.8CO0.2O2 is a promising candidate to replace LiCoO2. The present paper describes the preparation of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 compounds from nitrate sources and sucrose (or sugar) by the sucrose combustion process (SCP), which involves application of a conventional combustion method. In the proposed approach, sucrose serves as a fuel, a dispersing agent, and a precipitation suppressant. Precursors were made via a combustion reaction, and LiNi0.8CO0.2O2 was subsequently synthesized by heat treatment at 800 degrees C for 16 h in oxygen atmosphere. The initial discharge capacity was 175 mA h/g when a cell was operated at 2.7-4.3 V at 0.5 Grate. Furthermore, it shows good cycling stability. When increased amount of sucrose were added as a start material, the final calcined powder displayed smaller particle size and better discharge capacity. It is expected that optimization of the heat treatment conditions would yield LiNi0.8CO0.2O2 with excellent properties. Furthermore, SCP is expected to be applicable to the production of various materials. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.