Nano-LiCoO₂ as cathode material of large capacity and high rate capability for aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries

Crystalline nanoparticles of LiCoO₂ are prepared by a sol-gel method at 550 °C and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Their electrochemical behaviors were characterized by cyclic voltammograms, capacity measurement and cycling performance. Results show that the reversible capacity of the nano-LiCoO₂ can be up to 143 mAh/g at 1000 mA/g and still be 133 mAh/g at 10,000 mA/g (about 70C) in 0.5 mol/l Li₂SO₄ aqueous electrolyte. In addition, their cycling behavior is also very satisfactory, no evident capacity fading during the initial 40 cycles. These data present great promise for the application of aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries.