The preparation of LiCoO2 nanoplates via a hydrothermal process and the investigation of their electrochemical behavior at high rates

We report an alternative hydrothermal process for the preparation of pure phase LiCoO2 cathode material for potential application under high rates. By adjusting the hydrothermal conditions, nanoplate-like LiCoO2 crystals were obtained, with grain size about 200 nm. It was found in the experiment that the H2O2 concentration and hydrothermal temperature were the two key factors that influence the phase purity and crystal shape, while LiOH concentration has only a slight effect on the crystal size of the product. The electrochemical test revealed a good rate behavior of the synthesized pure phase LiCoO2 nanoplates, demonstrating a potential of the hydrothermal process for mass production.