Lithium-based transition-metal oxides for battery electrodes analyzed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. IV. LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray-induced Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) were used to analyze two lots of untreated LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 powder and one of the two lots of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 powder recalcined in air at 750 °C obtained from TODA America. X-ray photoelectron and x-ray-induced Auger electron spectra were obtained using incident monochromatic Al Kα radiation at 0.834 01 nm. A survey spectrum together with Ni 2p, Co 2p, Mn 2p, Ni LMM, O 1s, C 1s, Ni 3s, Co 3s, Mn 3s, Ni 3p, Co 3p, Li 1s, and Mn 3p are presented. The spectra indicate the principal core level photoelectron and Auger electron signals and show only minor sulfur contamination. Making use of the O 1s, Ni 3p, Co 3p, Mn 3p, and Li 1s lines and neglecting the components related to surface contaminants, XPS quantitative analysis reveals an altered stoichiometry of the air-exposed powder surfaces for the first lot, the first lot recalcined, and the second lot of LiNi0.3Co0.1Mn0.2O1.2, LiNi0.4Co0.1Mn0.3O1.5, and LiNi0.4Co0.1Mn0.2O1.3, respectively.