Electrochemical behavior of Li intercalation processes into a Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2 cathode

Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2 (X=0.17, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5) compounds are prepared by a simple combustion method. The Rietvelt analysis shows that these compounds could be classified as having the α-NaFeO2 structure. The initial charge–discharge and irreversible capacity increases with the decrease of x in Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2. Indeed, Li[Ni0.50Mn0.50]O2 compound shows relatively low initial discharge capacity of 200 mAh/g and large capacity loss during cycling, with Li[Ni0.17Li0.22Mn0.61]O2 and Li[Ni0.25Li0.17Mn0.58]O2 compounds exhibit high initial discharge capacity over 245 mAh/g and stable cycle performance in the voltage range of 4.8 –2.0 V. On the other hand, XANES analysis shows that the oxidation state of Ni ion reversibly changes between Ni2+ and about Ni3+, while the oxidation state of Mn ion sustains Mn4+ during charge–discharge process. This result does not agree with the previously reported ‘electrochemistry model’ of Li[NixLi(1/3−2x/3)Mn(2/3−x/3)]O2, in which Ni ion changes between Ni2+ and NI4+. Based on these results, we modified oxidation-state change of Mn and Ni ion during charge–discharge process.