Cobalt-free Li-rich high-capacity cathode material for lithium-ion cells synthesized through sol–gel method and its electrochemical performance

Lithium-rich layered cathode materials are regarded as promising candidates for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high specific capacity and superior energy density. The present work adopts a citric acid-assisted sol–gel method to synthesize cobalt-free Li-rich Li1.17Ni0.34Mn0.5O2 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. The crystal structure and surface morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. The electrochemical performance was evaluated by charge–discharge cycling tests and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The as-synthesized cathode exhibits a well-ordered layered structure consisting of LiMO2 and Li2MnO3 phases. When subjected to charge–discharge cycle at C/10 rate in the voltage window of 2.0–4.8 V, the Li1.17Ni0.34Mn0.5O2 cathode exhibited charge and discharge capacities of 320.8 and 242.4 mAh g−1, respectively, with an irreversible capacity of 78.4 mAh g−1 and coulombic efficiency of 75.6%, in the initial cycle. Cycling studies showed capacity retention of 91.6 % at C/10 after 100 cycles and 85 % at 1C after 150 cycles. Moreover, the material also possesses an excellent rate performance. Thus, the Li-rich cobalt-free cathode material presented here exhibits good specific capacity, rate capability, and cycle life, making it a promising candidate for low cost and high energy density lithium-ion cells.