Microwave-assisted solid-state synthesis of LiCoO2 and its electrochemical properties as a cathode material for lithium batteries

LiCoO2 is one of the best cathode materials being widely used in commercial lithium-ion batteries because of its high specific capacity and excellent cycle life. Polycrystalline homogeneous lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) powder was synthesised by a solid-state method using microwaves. The synthesis was carried out in a domestic microwave oven. LiCoO2 was synthesised with a microwave irradiation time of 20 min. This process remarkably reduced synthesis time, and LiCoO2 was produced relatively quickly for the first time. The synthesised material showed reasonable electrochemical characteristics. The discharge capacity of the compound heated for 20 min was 112 mA h/g for the first cycle and 103 mA h/g after 10 cycles. The reason for the lower capacity may be the CoO phase coexisting with the HT-LiCoO2 phase, formed due to the slight decomposition of Co3O4 in the microwave field. 26 refs.