Synthesis and improved electrochemical properties of Na-substituted Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

Na-substituted Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries were successfully synthesized by sol–gel method. The structure, morphology and electrochemical properties showed that Li2−xNaxMnSiO4 (x = 0.1 and 0.2) possessed smaller particle size, larger specific surface area and delivered higher discharge capacity compared to those of pristine Li2MnSiO4, especially at a Na substituted ratio of 0.1. In addition, Li1.9Na0.1MnSiO4/C nanocomposite coated with uniform carbon layer demonstrated significantly improved electrochemical performance in terms of discharge capacity. The experimental results revealed that ion substitution and carbon coating might be a feasible method to improve the electrochemical properties of this material.