In situ Sr2+-doped spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode material for Li-ion batteries with high electrochemical performance and its impact on morphology

LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) is a promising next-generation cathode material for high energy density lithium-ion batteries, but the application of LNMO is blocked because of its inherent side effects with electrolytes at high voltages, namely, serious Mn dissolution and capacity attenuation. A novel LiNi0.5Mn1.5-xSrxO4 material (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) was successfully prepared using the sol-gel method, and the effect of varying in situ Sr2+-doping on the crystal structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance was researched. A series of characterizations showed that the Sr-doped LNMO structure contains less Mn3+, which enhances its cycling stability. In addition, Sr doping promotes morphological changes more remarkably. Accompanied by the appearance of (100) surfaces, the morphology of LNMO changes from an octahedron to a truncated octahedron. The (100) surface can effectively inhibit side reactions with the electrolyte and steady the structure at the working voltage, which also helps support Li+ transport kinetics. The Sr-doped LiNi0.5Mn1.4Sr0.1O4 (expressed as LNMO-Sr0.1) cathode exhibits preeminent cycling stability, after 500 cycles at 1C, the capacity retention is 86.63 %. CV and EIS results show that the right amount of Sr doping efficiently reduces electrode polarization and charge transfer resistance and increases the Li+ diffusion coefficient.