Porous 0.2Li2MnO3·0.8LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 nanorods as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Porous 0.2Li2MnO3·0.8LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 nanorods (LLNMO PNRs) assembled with nanoparticles have been prepared and investigated as cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The LLNMO PNRs were obtained through solid-state Li and Ni implantation of porous Mn2O3 nanowires. Without surface modification, the as synthesized LLNMO PNRs exhibited superior capacity and rate capability to the counterpart bulk samples. An initial discharge capacity of 275 mA h g−1 could be delivered at 0.2 C rates, with about 90% capacity retention after 100 cycles. The remarkable performance was attributed to the porous 1D nanostructures that could buffer against the local volume change and shorten the Li-ion diffusion distance.