The influence of holding time on the performance of LiNi _0.5Mn_1.5O₄ cathode for lithium ion battery

The development of heterogeneous LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O ₄ spinel for high power lithium ion battery applications has been investigated during last decades. In this study, LiNi_0.5Mn _1.5O₄ cathode materials are successfully prepared with sol-gel method, and the influence of holding time on performances of the LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ cathode is investigated. The results show that the holding time has a remarkable effect on the crystallinity, the morphology, the purity, the Mn³⁺ amount, and the grain size distribution, then further impacts the related electrochemical behaviors. We find that a decomposition reaction of the spinel occurs when an overlong holding time is used to synthesize the spinel powder, and the rate performance is directly related with the Mn³⁺ amount. We experimentally suggest that the compound sintered for 18 h exhibits the good electrochemical response in terms of both cycling and rate properties.