Electrochemical Performance of Mn and Fe Substitution in LiCo0.9X0.1O2 Cathode Materials

LiCo0.9X0.1O2 (where X=Mn and Fe) were synthesized using self-propagating combustion (SPC) method using citric acid as a combustion agent. The precursors of LiCo0.9X0.1O2 were annealed at a temperature of 800 °C at 24 h. The phase and crystalinity of the materials were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). All the materials were observed to be single and pure phase with no impurity peaks detected. The morphology and particle sizes of the materials were also analyzed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microcopy (FESEM). Finally, the electrochemical performance of the materials was studied using charge-discharge cycling in the voltage range of 2.5 to 4.3 V. Based on the results from charge-discharge studies, Mn substituted cathode materials exhibit better specific discharge capacity compared with Fe substituted cathode materials.