Synthesis of single-crystalline spinel LiMn2 O4 Nanorods for lithium-ion batteries with high rate capability and long cycle life.

The long-standing challenge associated with capacity fading of spinel LiMn2 O4 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries is investigated. Single-crystalline spinel LiMn2 O4 nanorods were successfully synthesized by a template-engaged method. Porous Mn3 O4 nanorods were used as self-sacrificial templates, into which LiOH was infiltrated by a vacuum-assisted impregnation route. When used as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the spinel LiMn2 O4 nanorods exhibited superior long cycle life owing to the one-dimensional nanorod structure, single-crystallinity, and Li-rich effect. LiMn2 O4 nanorods retained 95.6 % of the initial capacity after 1000 cycles at 3C rate. In particular, the nanorod morphology of the spinel LiMn2 O4 was well-preserved after a long-term cycling, suggesting the ultrahigh structural stability of the single crystalline spinel LiMn2 O4 nanorods. This result shows the promising applications of single-crystalline spinel LiMn2 O4 nanorods as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries with high rate capability and long cycle life.