Controllable synthesis of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 electrode material via a high shear mixer-assisted precipitation process

• LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 was synthesized via intensified micromixing using HSM. • The micromixing intensity was controlled by changing HSMs heads and rotor speeds. • The effects of micromixing were studied by experimental and CFD technologies. • This approach can be extended to prepare other micro- and nanostructured materials. Layered LiNi x Co y Mn z O 2 materials are the promising cathodes for high-energy–density batteries owing to their high capacities and high working voltages. However, the controllable synthesis of LiNi x Co y Mn z O 2 through a green and scalable method is still a great challenge. From the viewpoint of chemical process intensification, this work proposed a high shear mixer (HSM) assisted-coprecipitation method, aiming to controllably synthesize LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 via intensified micromixing in pure water. The effects of micromixing on the structure, morphology and electrochemical properties of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 were investigated experimentally. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology was also carried out to understand the relative mechanism between micromixing and the properties of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 . Both experimental and numerical results indicated that the HSM could generate an intensified and homogeneous micromixing during the crystal nucleation and growth process, which is beneficial for the preparation of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 with uniform morphology, small size and narrow distribution. Spherical LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 particles with an average size of 236 nm were successfully synthesized by this HSM-assisted precipitation strategy, which delivers superior discharge capacity of 98 mAh g −1 and excellent cycling stability of 78.5% after 200 cycles at 3200 mA g −1 . We believe this green synthetic approach not only exhibits prospects for large-scale production but also could be extended to prepare other materials beyond the present work.