Electrochemical properties of disordered cathode materials

Abstract

Disordered and amorphous compounds sometimes show better properties as cathodes than crystalline compounds of the same material in lithium electrochemical devices. In the present work, we have considered molybdenum compounds such as MoO3 and MoS2 having different degrees of structural disorder which are being extensively investigated as intercalation hosts of lithium for applications in rechargeable batteries or electrochromic devices. In this connection, their potential-composition curves have been measured as thermodynamic characteristic which is very important from both fundamental and practical point of view. Considering both ionic and electronic contributions to the charge/discharge behavior, the electrochemical features are discussed from the point of view of energy diagrams.