INFLUENCE OF METAL OXIDE COATINGS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH-VOLTAGE LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) CATHODE MATERIALS FOR RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES (LIBS)

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been publicized as suitable candidates for their utilization in portable electronics and electric vehicles (EVs). This move has been made in the past decade to address global warming and climate change concerns. The cathode materials utilized in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are vital as they primarily donate lithium-ions in the system. Spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide; LNMO) has attracted much attention as a cathode material due to its high voltage of 4.7 V vs. Li, high specific energy of 700 Wh/kg, lower cost, and environmental friendliness. However, LNMO cathodes are currently suffering from poor cyclability and capacity degradation, hindering commercialization. Many strategies have been suggested in the literature to address the challenges associated with spinel cathode materials. Among those, surface modification techniques like surface coatings have proven to be promising and may enhance the electrochemical performance of LNMO. Towards this direction, during the proposed research work, LNMO will be synthesized by microwave-assisted chemical co-precipitation technique and then coated with graphene wrapped ceramic materials (Al2O3 and CeO2). A comparison of structural, thermal, and electrochemical performance of pristine material with the coated LNMO will be accomplished. The novelty of the proposed research work resides in the fact that synthesis of LNMO by the proposed method and its surface modification through graphene wrapped ceramic materials has not yet been reported.