Li2MnSiO4 Nanostructured Cathodes for Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology dominates the portable electronics market following the rapid growth in demand since the introduction of the first, commercial lithium-ion battery by Sony in 1990 [1]. Motivated by concerns for global warming and environmental degradation, researchers have focused on extending the use of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to large-scale applications. Lithium-ion batteries are attractive candidates for these applications due to their high energy density, high efficiency, and long cycle life. These applications include use as power supplies for low emission hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles and as standby storage to mitigate the unavoidable intermittency of renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power [2, 3]. These extended, large-scale applications place increasingly stringent demands on battery performance and demand the development and optimization of new battery chemistries to meet the challenges for commercial acceptance [3, 4]. In large-scale applications, factors such as safety, toxicity, cost, and abundance of raw materials become highly significant. In addition, high charge and discharge rate requirements mean that nanostructured materials are essential to meet performance targets. The original, commercial secondary lithium-ion batteries were based on a lithium transition metal oxide cathode (e.g., LiCoO2) and a carbon anode [1]. These two electrodes are insertion materials capable of accommodating lithium ions within their lattice, with very little change to the overall structure. During the charge cycle, lithium ions are extracted from the cathode and at the same time the