Synthesis of nanodisperse materials for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

The paper represents new the technique for the sol-gel synthesis of lithium cobaltite nanoparticles, which can serve as cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. Lithium cobaltite was synthesized from aqueous nitrate solutions using heterocyclic amines (pyridine, quinolone) as complexing agents. When mixing solutions of lithium and cobalt (II) nitrates at 1:1 molar ratio and adding nitrate of heterocyclic amines taken at the 1:3 lithium nitrate : amine nitrate molar ratio, initial reagents react with formation of the heteropolynuclear complex compound. At further calcination of the formed complex, rapid redox oxidation-reduction process was observed. It has been established that it is possible to control the particle size of the desired product by adjusting the calcination temperature. Increase of calcination temperature above 450°C leads to a relative increase in the particle size of lithium cobaltite to 10-50 microns, and agglomerization of the target product particles. Conducting the calcination process at 400-450 °C with formation of lithium cobaltite provides the desired product with a dispersion of 40-100 nm. When calcination is conducted at a temperature of 400-450 °C, fine lithium cobaltite having crystal size in the range of 40-100 nm is obtained.