Drastic enhancement in the rate and cyclic behavior of LiMn2O4 electrodes at elevated temperatures by phosphorus doping

Insight into the role of reactive species on catalyst surface underlying peroxymonosulfate activation by P-Fe2MnO4 loaded on bentonite for trichloroethylene degradation

In this study, bentonite supporting phosphorus-doped Fe2MnO4 (BPF) was synthesized and applied for PMS activation to degrade TCE. Morphology and structure characterization results indicated the successfully synthesized of BPF, and the BPF/PMS system not only featured high TCE removal (97.4%) but also high reaction rate constant (kobs = 0.0554 min-1) and PMS utilization (70.4%, kobs = 0.0228 min-1). According to the results of various experiments, massive oxygen vacancies on P-Fe2MnO4 alter its charge balance and facilitate the electron transfer process named adjacent transfer (direct electron capture by adsorbed PMS from adjacent TCE). Mn(III) is the main adsorption site for PMS, and the hydroxyl groups on the catalyst (Fe sites of P-Fe2MnO4, Si and Al sites of bentonite) can also offer binding sites for PMS. The hydrogen-bonded PMS on Fe(III) and Mn(III) sites will subsequently accept the discharged electrons to generate free radicals and high-valent metal species. Meanwhile, electron loss of HSO5- that chemically bonded to hydroxyl groups on bentonite will generate SO5•-, which will further produce 1O2 through self-bonding. the active species on the catalyst surface contribute 65% of TCE degradation in the heterogeneous catalytic oxidation system.

Unraveling the Mechanism and Practical Implications of the Sol-Gel Synthesis of Spinel LiMn2O4 as a Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries: Critical Effects of Cation Distribution at the Matrix Level

Spinel LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) is a state-of-the-art cathode material for Li-ion batteries. However, the operating voltage and battery life of spinel LMO needs to be improved for application in various modern technologies. Modifying the composition of the spinel LMO material alters its electronic structure, thereby increasing its operating voltage. Additionally, modifying the microstructure of the spinel LMO by controlling the size and distribution of the particles can improve its electrochemical properties. In this study, we elucidate the sol-gel synthesis mechanisms of two common types of sol-gels (modified and unmodified metal complexes)-chelate gel and organic polymeric gel-and investigate their structural and morphological properties and electrochemical performances. This study highlights that uniform distribution of cations during sol-gel formation is important for the growth of LMO crystals. Furthermore, a homogeneous multicomponent sol-gel, necessary to ensure that no conflicting morphologies and structures would degrade the electrochemical performances, can be obtained when the sol-gel has a polymer-like structure and uniformly bound ions; this can be achieved by using additional multifunctional reagents, namely cross-linkers.

Turning commercial MnO2 (≥85 wt%) into high-crystallized K+-doped LiMn2O4 cathode with superior structural stability by a low-temperature molten salt method

The obtainment of low-cost, easily prepared and high-powered LiMn₂O₄ is the key to achieve its wide application in various electronic devices. In this work, a mild and easily scaled molten salt method (KCl@LiCl) is utilized to convert commercial MnO₂ to the high-performance LiMn₂O₄. At the same reaction temperature, the molten salt method leads to the formation of K⁺-doped LiMn₂O₄ with higher crystallinity compared to the conventional solid state method, which contributes to the improved inner charge transfer. The Li₃PO₄ protective layer is coated on the surface of K⁺-doped LiMn₂O₄ to elevate the interfacial stability and the Li⁺ transfer on interface. Thus, the optimized electrode shows a higher specific discharge capacity (103/60 mAh g^-1 at 0.02/2 A g^-1) and a longer cyclic life (80 mAh g^-1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 A g^-1) compared to those of LiMn₂O₄ by solid state method (49/2 mAh g^-1 at 0.02/2 A g^-1 and 20 mAh g^-1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 A g^-1).

Effects of a Sodium Phosphate Electrolyte Additive on Elevated Temperature Performance of Spinel Lithium Manganese Oxide Cathodes

LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) spinel cathode materials suffer from severe degradation at elevated temperatures because of Mn dissolution. In this research, monobasic sodium phosphate (NaH₂PO₄, P2) is examined as an electrolyte additive to mitigate Mn dissolution; thus, the thermal stability of the LMO cathode material is improved. The P2 additive considerably improves the cyclability and storage performances of LMO/graphite and LMO/LMO symmetric cells at 60 °C. We explain that P2 suppresses the hydrofluoric acid content in the electrolyte and forms a protective cathode electrolyte interphase layer, which mitigates the Mn dissolution behavior of the LMO cathode material. Considering its beneficial role, the P2 additive is a useful additive for spinel LMO cathodes that suffer from severe Mn dissolution.

Small hollow nanostructures as a new morphology to improve stability of LiMn2O4cathodes in Li-ion batteries

Spinel LiMn₂O₄is a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, bulk LiMn₂O₄commonly suffers from capacity fading due to the dissolution of Mn into the electrolyte during cycling. Moreover, bulk LiMn₂O₄exhibits a low Li⁺diffusion coefficient that limits the volume available to Li⁺storage. Herein, we report the synthesis of small hollow porous LiMn₂O₄nanostructures with a mean size of 51 nm exhibiting exposed (111) planes, assembled by nanoparticles of about 6 nm in size. The morphological features of these nanostructures ensure a large contact area between the material and the electrolyte, shorten the pathways for Li⁺diffusion and provide effective accommodation of the volume change during cycling. Therefore, these hollow nanostructures exhibit improved discharge capacity retention (nearly 82% after 200 cycles) and a greater Li⁺diffusion coefficient (3.46 × 10^-7cm s^-1) compared with that of bulk LiMn₂O_4.

Double Flame-Fabricated High-Performance AlPO4/LiMn2O4 Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

The spinel LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) is a promising cathode material for rechargeable Li-ion batteries due to its excellent properties, including cost effectiveness, eco-friendliness, high energy density, and rate capability. The commercial application of LiMn₂O₄ is limited by its fast capacity fading during cycling, which lowers the electrochemical performance. In the present work, phase-pure and crystalline LiMn₂O₄ spinel in the nanoscale were synthesized using single flame spray pyrolysis via screening 16 different precursor-solvent combinations. To overcome the drawback of capacity fading, LiMn₂O₄ was homogeneously mixed with different percentages of AlPO₄ using versatile multiple flame sprays. The mixing was realized by producing AlPO₄ and LiMn₂O₄ aerosol streams in two independent flames placed at 20° to the vertical axis. The structural and morphological analyses by X-ray diffraction indicated the formation of a pure LMO phase and/or AlPO₄-mixed LiMn₂O₄. Electrochemical analysis indicated that LMO nanoparticles of 17.8 nm (d _BET) had the best electrochemical performance among the pure LMOs with an initial capacity and a capacity retention of 111.4 mA h g^-1 and 88% after 100 cycles, respectively. A further increase in the capacity retention to 93% and an outstanding initial capacity of 116.1 mA h g^-1 were acquired for 1% AlPO₄.

Atomic Insights into Ti Doping on the Stability Enhancement of Truncated Octahedron LiMn2O4 Nanoparticles

Ti-doped truncated octahedron LiTi_xMn_2-xO₄ nanocomposites were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal treatment and calcination process. By using spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-STEM), the effects of Ti-doping on the structure evolution and stability enhancement of LiMn₂O₄ are revealed. It is found that truncated octahedrons are easily formed in Ti doping LiMn₂O₄ material. Structural characterizations reveal that most of the Ti⁴⁺ ions are composed into the spinel to form a more stable spinel LiTi_xMn_2−xO₄ phase framework in bulk. However, a portion of Ti⁴⁺ ions occupy 8a sites around the {001} plane surface to form a new TiMn₂O₄-like structure. The combination of LiTi_xMn_2−xO₄ frameworks in bulk and the TiMn₂O₄-like structure at the surface may enhance the stability of the spinel LiMn₂O₄. Our findings demonstrate the critical role of Ti doping in the surface chemical and structural evolution of LiMn₂O₄ and may guide the design principle for viable electrode materials.

High-capacity and superior behavior of the Ni–Cu co-doped spinel LiMn2O4 cathodes rapidly prepared via microwave-induced solution flameless combustion

High-capacity and high-rate properties of the Ni–Cu co-doped spinel LiMn2O4 cathodes for Li-ion batteries.

Comparison of the effects of cation and phosphorus doping in cobalt-based spinel oxides towards the oxygen evolution reaction

Phosphorus incorporation further boosted the OER activity of cation-doped Co-based spinel oxides via remarkably tuning the oxygen vacancies, crystallinity and electrochemically active surface area on the surface.

Improved Electrochemical Properties of LiMn2O4-Based Cathode Material Co-Modified by Mg-Doping and Octahedral Morphology

In this work, the spinel LiMn₂O₄ cathode material was prepared by high-temperature solid-phase method and further optimized by co-modification strategy based on the Mg-doping and octahedral morphology. The octahedral LiMn_1.95Mg_0.05O₄ sample belongs to the spinel cubic structure with the space group of Fd3m, and no other impurities are presented in the XRD patterns. The octahedral LiMn_1.95Mg_0.05O₄ particles show narrow size distribution with regular morphology. When used as cathode material, the obtained LiMn_1.95Mg_0.05O₄ octahedra shows excellent electrochemical properties. This material can exhibit high capacity retention of 96.8% with 100th discharge capacity of 111.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 1.0 C. Moreover, the rate performance and high-temperature cycling stability of LiMn₂O₄ are effectively improved by the co-modification strategy based on Mg-doping and octahedral morphology. These results are mostly given to the fact that the addition of magnesium ions can suppress the Jahn–Teller effect and the octahedral morphology contributes to the Mn dissolution, which can improve the structural stability of LiMn₂O₄.