Study of Pr doped nanocrystalline LiCoO2 cathode material for spintronic and energy storage applications: A theoretical and experimental analysis

In this study, Pr3+ substituted LiCoO2 lithium-rich cathode materials were prepared using the sol-gel auto-combustion technique to enhance cycling performance. LiCo1-xPrxO2 samples having Pr concentrations x = 0.00-0.10 were synthesized. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a rhombohedral structure with space group R-3m, further verified by the Rietveld refinement. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed the presence of distinct and well-defined submicron-scale grains. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed Co-O stretching bonds within 590-560 cm-1 and revealed peaks at around 560-590, 830-860, and 1320-1480 cm-1, which could be attributed to the electrochemical performance of Pr-doped species. Moreover, EDX spectroscopy confirmed the typical elemental peaks of only Co, Pr, and O, confirming the required phase presence. The cyclic voltammetry showed improved reversibility and stability due to Pr doping. The first-principles computations were performed using the lattice constant extracted from XRD measurements. The pure LiCoO2 with a semiconducting nature became half-metallic due to Pr doping (LiCo0.84Pr0.16O2). The magnetic properties indicate that LiCoO2 and LiCo0.84Pr0.16O2 exhibit positive magnetic order, which shows that these are suitable candidates for spintronic applications. The pure LiCoO2 revealed intercalation voltages of 4.10-2.73V and a theoretical capacity 40-203 mAh/g. Meanwhile, for LiCo0.84Pr0.16O2, the intercalation voltages and theoretical capacity improved to 4.42-2.85 V and 42 to 211 mAh/g, respectively. The combined experimental and theoretical study suggests that Pr-doped LiCoO2 is suitable for spintronic applications and energy applications such as composite cathodes.