AlPO4 coated LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 for high performance cathode material in lithium batteries

The surface of layered LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 was coated with AlPO4 by co-precipitation method and followed by heat treatment. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD and SEM. The samples coated with AlPO4 exhibited both improved rate and cycle capacity compared with the pristine LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2. Especially, the sample coated with 1 wt% AlPO4 showed outstanding cyclability. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicated that the AlPO4 coating layer significantly suppressed the increase of charge-transfer resistance (Rct). The activation energy of the charge transfer processes at the electrode/electrolyte interface was reduced by AlPO4 coating. These results indicate that AlPO4 coated LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 could be a promising cathode material for lithium ion batteries.