Effect of chitosan on deposition of LiCoO2 thin film for Li-ion batteries

Deposition of LiCoO2 thin film using chitosan-added precursor solution was found to be a cost-effective way to fabricate cathode for Li-ion thin film batteries. The structures and electrochemical performance of such LiCoO2 cathode were characterized by using an X-ray diffracotmeter (XRD), FTIR and charge–discharge tests. After annealing at ca. 500 °C, the results of XRD showed that the LiCoO2 gel started to crystallize and showed hexagonal phase with a space group of R3̄m. The enhanced stability of the precursor solution by the addition of chitosan is attributed to the complexation between metal ions and the −NH2 groups of chitosan.The electrochemical behaviour for the deposited films calcined at 700 °C for 4 h was also characterized by charge–discharge test. The result revealed that the film deposited from chitosan-containing precursor solution possesses an initial discharge capacity of 129 mAh g− 1.