Ammonium carboxylates assisted combustion process for the synthesis of nanocrystalline LiCoO2 powders

Nanocrystalline LiCoO2 powders were synthesized by combustion process using three different ammonium carboxylates named ammonium acetate (AA), ammonium citrate (AC) and ammonium tartarate (AT) as fuels and metal nitrates as the source of metal ions as well as oxidants. Effect of three different ammonium carboxylates on the synthesis of nanocrystalline LiCoO2 powders was investigated through FTIR, XRD, TG/DTA and SEM techniques. FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed that the LiCoO2 phase could obtain by calcining the polymeric intermediates at 450 °C for 12 h. Among the three different fuels, ammonium citrate assisted combustion process exhibited the formation of organic free phase pure nanocrystalline LiCoO2 powders. The average crystallite size of the LiCoO2 powder prepared at 450 °C for 12 h by ammonium citrate assisted process is found to be 24 nm.