The morphology and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode material prepared by the assistance of CTAB surfactant

The effect of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), as a surfactant, on morphology and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode materials was systematically investigated. Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 precursors were obtained through co-precipitation method using CTAB as a surfactant, then sintered with lithium salt to synthesize LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode materials. XRD and TEM results show that the materials possess rhombohedral α-NaFeO2 layered structure (space group R3¯m), and Ni/Li mixing degrees reduce and the (003) crystal plane spacing enlarges to some degree upon the assistance of CTAB. SEM images prove that the formation of columnar primary particles of can be promoted by the assistance of CTAB. The discharge capacity for the samples reaches the maximum 186.9 mAh∙g−1 at 0.1C while the content of CTAB increases to 0.2%, and NCM 0.2 sample also shows better high-rate charge/discharge ability and preferable cycling performance. Furthermore, NCM 0.2 sample exhibits lower charge transfer impedance and faster diffusion rate of Li+ than that of the blank.