Sol–gel synthesis of sodium and lithium based materials

Sodium and lithium cobaltates are important materials for thermoelectric and battery applications due to their large thermoelectric power and ability to (de-) intercalate the alkali metal. For these applications, phase pure materials with controlled microstructure are required. We report on the sol–gel synthesis of sodium- and lithium-based materials by using acetate precursors. The produced Na_2/3CoO₂, Li(Ni_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3)O₂, and Li(Ni_1/2Co_1/2)O₂ powders are phase pure with grain sizes below 1 μm. X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectral analyses show that the cation stoichiometry is preserved in the lithium-based compounds. Despite the low temperatures, the sodium content is reduced by 1/3 as compared to the initial value. Chemical phases of the investigated powders are formed in the sol–gel route at temperatures typically 100–200 K lower than those used in the conventional solid-state synthesis of these materials. The suggested sol–gel synthesis is a low temperature process suited for production of phase pure and homogeneous materials with volatile cations.