Electrochemical features of combustion-synthesized lithium cobaltate as cathode material for lithium ion battery

Lithium cobaltate (LiCoO2) was produced by carbon combustion synthesis of oxide (CCSO) using carbon nanoparticles as a fuel. In this method, the exothermic oxidation of carbon nanoparticles with an average size of 5 nm (specific surface 80 m2/g) gives rise to a self-propagating thermal wave with maximum temperatures of up to 900°C. The thermal front rapidly propagates through the mixture of solid reactants converting it to lithium cobaltate. XRD data suggest that the as-synthesized products were single phase. Carbon is not incorporated in the product and is evolved from the reaction zone as gaseous CO2. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to identify the features of interaction in the LiNO3-Co3O4-C system. The key features affecting the process-carbon pre-concentration in the reacting mixture and oxygen infiltration to the reaction zone-led to the formation of layered structure of LiCoO2 and affected the particle sizes. The synthesized crystalline nanoparticles were nearly spherical, and their average particle diameters ranged between 60 and 200 nm.