Electrochemical properties of nano-sized LiFePO4 materials prepared by hydrothermal method for lithium batteries

Abstract

Nano-sized LiFePO4 powders with and without carbon coating were prepared using hydrothermal method with different reaction conditions and their electrochemical properties were studied in terms of application as cathode active materials in lithium batteries. Glucose was used as a precursor for carbon coating on LiFePO4. The structural properties and morphological characteristics of LiFePO4 were investigated by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. A uniform carbon coating on the surface of LiFePO4 with 6 nm thickness was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. Hydrothermal reaction conditions were optimized as 180 degrees C for reaction temperature and 6 h for reaction time. The cell based on carbon coated LiFePO4 showed a higher discharge capacity of 168 mAh/g as compared to that (153 mAh/g,) of bare LiFePO4. By adjusting the reaction conditions, the particle size and morphology could be controlled to obtain good cycle performance with higher discharge capacity as a cathode material.