Large-Scale Synthesis of High Electrochemical Performance LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 by using a Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Assisted Citric-Acid Sol-Gel Combustion Method

For large-scale cathode-material synthesis, the sol-gel process with an atomically mixed metal precursor could provide a facile route to achieve a homogeneously mixed oxide-based cathode material. However, the industrial feasibility of this strategy could be limited by the high preparation cost of the precursors. Although this can be addressed by utilizing low-cost reagents and simplifying the calcination step, typically a trade-off would exist between the cost and the performance. In this study, we demonstrate the facile large-scale synthesis of lithium nickel manganese oxide (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4) by using a polyvinylpyrrolidone-assisted citric-acid sol-gel combustion method. After single-step calcination at 900 °C for 12 h, the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles with a truncated octahedron morphology showed a superb discharge capacity (130.8 mAh·g−1) and cyclability (90.9% after 200 cycles).