Abstract
To enhance growing societal and industrial energy demands in an environmentally friendly pathway, will appeal the use of clean energy sources such as wind, nuclear, solar, electric batteries, etc. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries offer energy conversion and storage devices with long life and high energy density suitable for varied novel applications such as electric and hybrid vehicles. In this work, pristine lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) and La3+, Zr4+ double doped Nano lithium manganates (LiMn2−2XLaXZrXO4, x=0.02%, 0.04%] were synthesized by solid state method for rechargeable Li-ion batteries applications. The resulting spinel products were exposed to both fast and thermal neutrons irradiations. The effects of the dopant cations and irradiation process on the structure profile and DC-electrical conductivity of the spinels were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The obtained results denote that the investigated samples can be used as solid detectors for thermo neutrons irradiation. Direct-current (DC) electrical conductivity studies revealed that LiMn2O4, LiMn1.96La0.02Zr0.02O4 and LiMn1.92La0.04Zr0.04O4 Nano spinels are semiconducting and their activation energies decrease with increasing La3+ and Zr4+ dopant contents.
•Solid state synthesis of La3+, Zr4+ double doped Nano lithium manganates for applications in Li-ion batteries.•Effects of fast and thermal neutrons irradiations on nano-synthesized spinels.•The effects of the dopant cations and irradiation process on the DC-electrical conductivity of the nanospinels.•The obtained results denote that the investigated samples can be used as solid detectors for thermo neutrons irradiation.