Preparation and characteristics of Sb-doped LiNiO2 cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

Compounds LiNi1−xSbxO2 (x=0, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25) were synthesized by the two-step calcination method. The structural and morphological properties of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD analysis confirms that the uniform solid solution has been formed in the as-prepared compounds without any impurities. It is shown that the crystal lattice parameters (a, c) of the Sb-doped compounds are bigger than those of pure LiNiO2 and the Sb-doped compound with x=0.2 consists of spherical-like nanoparticles with a mean grain size of 50 nm. The electrochemical performances of as-prepared samples were studied via galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling tests. The compound with x=0.2 exhibits excellent capacity retention during the charge–discharge processes due to its reinforced structural stability, and a discharge capacity of 102.4 mAh/g is still obtained in the voltage range of 2.5–4.5 V after 20 cycles. Thermal analysis further confirms that the structural stability of LiNi0.8Sb0.2O2 is superior to that of pure LiNiO2.

► A uniform solid solution has been formed in the as-prepared compounds.
► LiNi0.8Sb0.2O2 exhibits excellent capacity retention during the charge–discharge processes.
► The structural stability of LiNi0.8Sb0.2O2 is superior to that of pure LiNiO2.