Ammonia-free coprecipitation synthesis of a Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide precursor for high-performance battery cathode materials

The ammonia-free coprecipitation process using citric acid as a new chelating agent successfully produced a micro-sized spherical Ni 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 (OH) ₂ precursor and a well-performed cathode active material LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O ₂ for Li-ion batteries.