A First Principle Study on Iron Substituted LiNi(BO3) to use as Cathode Material for Li-ion Batteries

Abstract: In this work, the structural stability and the electronic properties of LiNiBO 3 and LiFe x Ni (1-x) BO 3 are studied using first principle calculations based on density functional theory. The calculated structural parameters are in good agreement with the available theoretical data. The most stable phases of the Fe substituted systems are predicted from the formation energy hull generated using the cluster expansion method. The 66% of Fe substitution at the Ni site gives the most stable structure among all the Fe substituted systems. The bonding mechanisms of the considered systems are discussed based on the density of states (DOS) and charge density plot. The detailed analysis of the stability, electronic structure, and the bonding mechanisms suggests that the systems can be a promising cathode material for Li ion battery applications.