Long cycle life, high rate capability of truncated octahedral LiMn2O4 cathode materials synthesized by a solid-state combustion reaction for lithium ion batteries

Truncated octahedral LiMn2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a high temperature solid-state combustion reaction using starch as fuel. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared material were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The results obtained show that the materials possess a perfect spinel structure, truncated octahedral morphology with an average grain size about 101.8 nm and uniform particle size distribution. The truncated octahedral LiMn2O4 exhibits high capacity and long-term cyclability with an initial discharge capacity of 107.9 mAh g-1 at 5 C. The capacity retention is 91.39% after 1000 cycles at 20 C. The excellent electrochemical performance can be mainly attributed to the nano-sized truncated octahedral structure, narrow particle size distribution and relatively lower crystallinity.