Carbon combustion synthesis of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 and its use as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries

LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 has been synthesized by carbon combustion synthesis (CCS) using carbon as fuel. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements showed that the carbon combustion led to the formation of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 with the spinel structure. The structure and particle-size can be adjusted by the amount of carbon used in the CCS. For the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 sample prepared with a carbon/Li molar ratio of 0.25, the particle-size distribution fell in the narrow range of 1-2 μm. Electrochemical tests indicated that this LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 sample delivered a discharge capacity of 131.7 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention rate 99.3% after 20 cycles.