Electrochemical characterization of LiMn2O4 nanowires fabricated by sol-gel for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries

Abstract

A layer of one-dimensional (1D) LiMn2O4 nanowires (NWs) was coated on a cathode of Li-ion rechargeable battery. Nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) integrated on silicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO2) substrates were employed as a template for fabrication of LiMn2O4 NWs with a sol–gel method. Purified LiMn2O4 NWs were spin-coated on a platinum (Pt) deposited Si/SiO2 substrate for electrochemical characterizations. Their electrochemical tests show that the discharge capacity of about 40 mAh/g is maintained during a few cycles at the high discharge/charge rate. Electrochemical characterization reveals that the thin-film surface with LiMn2O4 NWs is rougher than the surface without NWs. A change in surface of LiMn2O4 NWs after charging and discharging cycles was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM images show that diameter of the nanowires was increased by about 10–20% owing to a volume change by charging with Li ions.