Synthesis of spinel LiMn2O4 cathode material by a modified solid state reaction

Abstract

Spinel LiMn 2 O 4 was synthesized by a modified solid state reaction. We pretreated the reactants using tartaric acid as complexing agent through a grinding process to obtain uniform distribution of metal ions at atomic level. The structures, morphologies and electrochemical properties of the products were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and galvanostatic charge-discharge test. The results show that adding tartaric acid during the chemical pretreatment plays an important role in the formation of regular and uniform particles, which is beneficial to the electrochemical performance of LiMn 2 O 4. At the current density of 100 mA g-1, the discharge capacity is 118 mAh g-1 after 50 cycles with the capacity retention of 97%.