Synthesis of LiAl_2xO₂ with other transition metals for tritium release in nuclear fusion reactors

Lithium based metal oxides (Li-M-O) are used in nuclear fusion reactors, molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), and lithium-ion secondary batteries. These materials, which exhibit good chemical and thermal stability, excellent tritium release, and stability under long-term neutron-irradiated conditions, are considered possible candidates for nuclear fusion blanket materials. In this study, we focus on the hydrothermal synthesis of LiAl_2xO₂ with other transition metals to prepare LiMn_0.5-xNi_0.5-xAl_2xO₂ powder for application as a tritium generator. The d-values of the hydrothermally synthesized powders increased with increasing aluminum content. The increased values are associated with the increasing vacancy concentration resulting from the disordering of the cations in LiAl_2xO₂ with other transition metal structures. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the aluminum content affected the stability retention during Li⁺ intercalation and deintercalation, which results in improved tritium generation and release for tritium breeders in nuclear fusion blanket materials.