LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 Synthesized by Sol-gel Method: Structure and Electrochemical Properties

We report the structural and electrochemical properties of LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (LNMC) synthesized by sol-gel method via citrate xerogel. Characterizations showed that powders crystallized in the well-defined α-NaFeO2 structure with cationic distribution close to the nominal formula. The cationic mixing, i.e. Ni ions located in the Li sublattice was estimated 3.2 % from both XRD and magnetic measurements. The effect of the interslab mixing on electrochemical performance is discussed and compared with other LiNiyMnyCo1-2yO2 systems. Initial discharge capacity of 176 mAh g−1 was delivered at C/15-rate in the cut-off voltage of 2.5–4.5 V. More than 87 % of its initial capacity was retained after 35 cycles at C/15-rate