Flexible synthesis of mixed metal oxides illustrated for LiMn2O4 and LiCoO2

Abstract

A new dynamic process (DP) for rapid and continuous mixed metal oxide synthesis is illustrated for LiMn2O4 and LiCoO2. The DP synthetic method offers the possibility of producing pure or mixed lithiated metal oxide materials of controlled composition, phase-content, particle size, porosity and morphology. The final metal oxides are made from low-cost reactants; metals, carbonates and acetic acid, and are well suited for industrial scale-up. Characterization includes XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, BJH (Barrett, Joyner, Halendal), laser beam light diffraction and electrochemical measurements. The DP synthesis method may offer high quality electrode materials (with total pore areas of 76 m2 g−1) to the future battery industry as scale-up is easily adopted.