H $_{\bm 2}$ O $_{\bm 2}$ -Aided One-Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanocrystalline LiMn $_{\bm 2}$ O $_{\bm 4}$ Cathode for Lithium Batteries

A simple and H 2 O 2 -aided hydrothermal (HDT) method has been deployed to synthesize nanocrystalline LiMn 2 O 4 at 140°C using an in-house-made hydrothermal reaction vessel. Phase pure, highly crystalline, and uniformly distributed nanorods of 100 nm length are obtained from the H 2 O 2 aided exothermic oxidation of precursor mix, especially when an excess amount of lithium (Li: Mn as 2:1) is used. The crystalline nature of LiMn 2 O 4 and the growth of nanorods along (111) crystallographic direction are understood from powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD) and selective area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis, respectively. The synthesized cathode exhibited an initial capacity of 118 mAh g -1 with a slightly higher initial capacity fade (9%) and a progressively stabilized ( 2 O 4 cathode. The exploitation of low temperature assisted one-pot hydrothermal synthesis to prepare nanocrystalline LiMn 2 O 4 compound and the suitability of the same to exhibit better lithium intercalation behavior are demonstrated in this communication.