Characteristics and properties of nano-LiCoO synthesized by pre-organized single source precursors: Li-ion diffusivity, electrochemistry and biological assessment.

Background: LiCoO is one of the most used cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. Its conventional synthesis requires high temperature (>800 °C) and long heating time (>24 h) to obtain the micronscale rhombohedral layered high-temperature phase of LiCoO (HT-LCO). Nanoscale HT-LCO is of interest to improve the battery performance as the lithium (Li) ion pathway is expected to be shorter in nanoparticles as compared to micron sized ones.