Effect of PVP Coating on LiMnBO3 Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries.

LiMnBO3 is a potential cathode for Li-ion batteries, but it suffers from a low electrochemical activity. To improve the electrochemical performance of LiMnBO3, the effect of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as carbon additive was studied. Monoclinic LiMnBO3/C and LiMnBO3-MnO/C materials were obtained by a solid-state method at 500 °C. The structure, morphology and electrochemical behavior of these materials are characterized and compared. The results show that carbon additives and ball-milling dispersants affect the formation of impurities in the final products, but MnO is beneficial for the performance of LiMnBO3. The sample of LiMnBO3-MnO/C delivered a high capacity of 162.1 mAh g-1 because the synergistic effect of the MnO/C composite and the suppression of the PVP coating on particle growth facilitates charge transfer and lithium-ion diffusion.