Superior Stability and Dynamic Performance of Single Crystal LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O₂ Nanorods from β-MnO₂ Template for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Single crystal LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 nanorods cathode material with diameter of about 250 nm have been successfully synthesized via a facile template method followed with heat-treatment, using single crystal β-MnO 2 nanorods as self-template and Mn source. The structural changes of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 nanorods during phase formation and first charge-discharge process are further explored by ex-situ XRD characterization, demonstrating the excellent structural reversibility for long cycling. The electrochemical measurements reveal that LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 nanorods exhibit excellent rate performance with a high discharge capacity of 100.5 mAh g −1 at 5 C. Particularly, the materials can deliver an excellent discharge capacity of 170.5 mAh g −1 with a capacity retention of 90.2% at 0.5 C after 200 cycles. The improved electrochemical properties are ascribed to the short Li-ion transport pathways along diameter direction, large surface-to-volume ratio and excellent strain relaxation of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 nanorods, which could facilitate the diffusion of Li-ion and structural stability.