Crystal chemical investigation of nano inclusion in LiMn2O4 cathode material of lithium ion battery

Abstract

In this study, LiMn₂O₄ was fabricated with “Nano Inclusions” and the detailed crystal structure of the sample was studied by HAADF-STEM observation with an electron beam tilted to the specimen, electron diffraction, HRTEM observation. HAADF-STEM observation and electron diffraction revealed that the “Nano Inclusions” were located within single LiMn₂O₄ crystals. HRTEM observation clarified that the (100) plane of LiMn₂O₄ and the (110) plane of ZnMn₂O₄ have a common cubic close-packed oxygen arrangement and connect to each other without forming grain boundaries, due to similar atomic arrangements of LiMn₂O₄ along the 〈100〉 direction and of ZnMn₂O₄ along the [110] and [10] direction.