One-step hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 nanoparticles

Facile preparation of electrode materials possesses prime importance to commercialize new energy storage materials. Herein, a facile one-step hydrothermal method is used to prepare the LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 nanoparticles as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, charge–discharge tests and cyclic voltammetric measurements. The product shows pure crystalline phase of LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2, while the nanostructure is comprised of macrospores ranging from 10 to 50 nm. It delivers an initial discharge capacity of 137.5 mAh g−1 between 2.5 and 4.3 V at a 0.1 °C rate. It is shown that the reported facile preparation is applicable to scale-up applications of layered cathodes for LIBs.