Lithium insertion into spinel ferrites

Room temperature lithium insertion reactions of several cubic iron spinels, MIIFe2O4 with MII = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd have been studied. The results show that the lithium content of the lithiated ferrites decrease in the order: inverse>“mixed”> normal. The effect of cation distributions of host spinels on lithiation is discussed in terms of the reaction mechanism proposed by Goodenough and coworkers. The various physicochemical properties such as electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and Mossbauer spectra of the hosts and their lithiated analogues are compared and discussed.