Synthesis and characterization of LiNi0.9Co0.1O2 for lithium batteries by a novel method

LiNi0.9Co0.1O2 cathode material was prepared by a rheological phase reaction method with LiOH·H2O and Ni0.9Co0.1(OH)2 as starting materials. The mixture of reactants and a proper amount of water reacted to form a rheological precursor, and then the dried precursor was sintered in flowing oxygen based on the results of thermogravimetric. The sintering temperature has a remarkable effect on the electrochemical performance of the samples. The sample LiNi0.9Co0.1O2 material sintered at 730 °C for 6 h has the largest initial discharge capacity 195.7 mAh g−1 (50 mA g−1, 3.0-4.3 V) and shows the better electrochemical performance, capacity retention after 20 cycles is 91.4%. This method is simple and effective for preparing cathode materials for lithium batteries.