W. Liu et al., SYNTHESIS AND ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDIES OF SPINEL PHASE LIMN2O4 CATHODEMATERIALS PREPARED BY THE PECHINI PROCESS, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 143(3), 1996, pp. 879-884
LiMn2O4-based spinels are of great interest as positive electrode mate
rials for lithium-ion batteries. We describe here what is believed to
be the first synthesis of these materials using the Pechini process, a
low temperature synthetic method that often yields inorganic oxides o
f excellent phase purity and well-controlled stoichiometry. Using this
process, it has been possible to synthesize phase-pure crystalline sp
inel LiMn2O4 by calcining the appropriate polymeric precursors in air
at 250 degrees C for several hours. The influence of different firing
temperatures and the effect of substituting a small amount of Mn with
Ni have also been explored. Electrochemical studies show that the Pech
ini-synthesized materials appear to offer not only high quality perfor
mance but also significant analytical advantages which allow us to und
erstand the structural mechanism of Li intercalation.