Mesoporous silica-assisted carbon free Li2MnSiO4 cathode nanoparticles for high capacity Li rechargeable batteries†
Abstract
Porous and spherical Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles have been synthesized through a facile sol–gel route via a mesoporous silica template. Galvanostatic charge–discharge of the resultant Li2MnSiO4 cathode exhibits enhanced charge–discharge capacity relative to that of particles prepared by the conventional sol–gel process, up to 25% in discharge capacity, even without any particulate process such as milling with conductive agents. The standout electrochemical performance could be attributed to the unique high surface-to-volume ratio, porous geometry and improved accommodation of transformation strains during the electrochemical lithiation–delithiation process.