Structural and electrochemical investigation of Zn-doped LiCoO2 powders

A commercial cathode material (LiCoO2) was modified by doping with Zn to improve its performance in lithium battery. The structure and morphology of the doped cathode material were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM). The synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), used to investigate the elementary states on the system. The electrical conductivity variations of doped powders were measured in the temperature range between 30 and 150 degrees C. The 3 mol% Zn-doped LiCoO2 sample shows the highest reversibility capacity (178 mA h g(-1)) after 30 cycles in the voltage window 3.0-4.5 V.