Structural, morphological and electrochemical properties of novel Mg1.8Mn1.8Si1-yZryO4 cathode material

Mg1.8Mn0.2Si1-yO4Zry, 0.0 <= y <= 0.4 samples were prepared via sol gel method. The structural and electrochemical properties of the samples were systematically investigated. The diffraction peaks of the samples correspond to a single phase and indexed with an orthorhombic crystal system of space group Pmna. X-ray diffraction patterns of the materials showed no existing of impurities for y <= 0.3 indicated that Zr4+ fully entered the lattice structure. Zr4+ doping influenced the enhancement of the structural and electrochemical performance of Mg1.8Mn0.2SiO4. The substitution of Zr4+ with Si4+ in the lattice structure is expected to enhance the electron transfer in the structure by enlarge the migration channel of the compound. For this work, Mg1.8Mn0.2Si0.7O4Zr0.3 which possessed the largest unit cell volume, a porous morphology and smallest R-ct, exhibits the smallest potential separation which contributed to the enhancement of electrochemical properties.