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

Abstract

LiNi 0.8Co 0.2O 2 is a promising candidate to replace LiCoO 2. The present paper describes the preparation of LiNi 0.8Co 0.2O 2 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 LiNi 0.8Co 0.2O 2 was subsequently synthesized by heat treatment at 800 °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 C-rate. 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 LiNi 0.8Co 0.2O 2 with excellent properties. Furthermore, SCP is expected to be applicable to the production of various materials.