Mesoporous Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 nanotubes for high-performance cathodes in Li-ion batteries

• Nanotubes of Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 is proposed as an Li-ions batteries cathode.
• An affordable one-pot electrospinning method is introduced to fabricate the nanotubes.
• The improved cyclic stability and rate capability are demonstrated.

One-dimensional nanotubes constructed from interconnected Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 secondary particles of diameters measuring ca. 40 nm, were synthesized by a one-pot electrospinning method. Novel electrodes were constructed from (a) nanoparticles only, and (b) hollow nanofibres, and employed as cathodes in Li-ion batteries. The nanotube cathode exhibited impressive specific charge capacity, good cycling stability, and excellent rate capability. A discharge capacity of 140 mAh g−1 with capacity retention of 89% at 3 C was achieved after 300 cycles. The significant improvement of electrochemical performance is attributed to the high surface area of the nanotubes, well-guided charge transfer kinetics with short ionic diffusion pathways, and large effective contact area with the electrolyte during the cycling process.