Electrochemical behaviour of LiMyMn2–yO4 (M = Cu, Cr; 0 <= y <= 0.4)

Spinel lithium manganese oxide, LiMn2O4, is beset with problems of capacity fade upon repeated cycling. The loss in capacity upon cycling is attributable to Jahn–Teller distortion and manganese dissolution in the electrolyte in the charged state. One way to circumvent this capacity fade is to introduce other 3d transition metal ions in the LiMn2O4 lattice. In this paper, we report on the effect of partial substitution of manganese in the LiMn2O4 phase with copper (II) and chromium (III) ions. It has been shown that the higher octahedral stabilization energy of trivalent chromium imparts greater structural stability to chromium-doped LiMn2O4 spinels. Both copper and chromium reduce the capacity of the spinel in the 4 V region. In terms of its good reversible capacity and ability to sustain cycling with minimal capacity fade, LiCr0×1Mn1×9O4 may be considered as a potential cathode material for lithium rechargeable cells