Electrode Materials with a Crater-Type Morphology Prepared by Electrospraying for High-Performance Lithium-Ion...

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with good electrochemical properties require nanostructured electrode materials, which are usually prepared through complex synthesis processes. Herein, a new facile method is reported for the synthesis of high-performance electrode materials with a crater-like morphology through repulsion between positive charges. The produced electrode material does not possess a nanostructure. However, it is capable of rapidly transferring lithium ions and electrons owing to the large contact area with electrolyte and the high concentration sp² -hybridized carbon coating. LiFePO₄ and LiNi_1/3 Co_1/3 Mn_1/3 O₂ electrodes prepared by this process achieved high discharge capacities of 165.7 and 199.9 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 C, with excellent rate capability of 127.5 and 162.6 mAh g^-1 at 10 C, respectively. Although the crater-type materials might decrease the electrode tap density, they facilitate better electrochemical properties such as high capacity, high power, and fast charging. Furthermore, this new method can be applied trough a sol-gel process for the synthesis of electrode materials to improve their electrochemical characteristics.