Transport and electrochemical properties of orthorhombic LiMnO2 cathode material for Li-ion batteries

The aim of this paper was to determine the temperature range of thermal stability of orthorhombic LiMnO2, together with its electrical and electrochemical characterization. High-temperature studies of the electrical properties of orthorhombic LiMnO2 point to structural instability of the phase at temperatures over 400 ?C. Annealing above 400 ?C leads to its decomposition into a two-phase mixture (Li2MnO3 + LiMn2O4). Stoichiometric LiMnO2 has a very low conductivity at room temperature, which limits the effectiveness of intercalation at the initial stage. The temperature dependences of the electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power of deintercalated LiyMnO2 samples indicate a dominant electronic conductivity over the ionic one. A remarkable increase in electronic conductivity accompanied by a drop of activation energies is observed upon deintercalation. It was shown that the deintercalation of lithium from LiyMnO2 makes the structure less stable, leading to a two-phase mixture (LizMnO2 + LixMn2O4). s. 75-83, bibliogr. 4 poz.