Integrated carbon cloth supported LiFePO4/N-C films as high-performance cathode for lithium ion batteries.

Fabricating advanced cathode is critical for the development of high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, we develop a facile hydrothermal method for construction of LiFePO 4 /N-C films on the carbon cloth forming integrated binder-free cathode. The LiFePO 4 /N-C films are composed of interconnected nanoscale LiFePO 4 /N-C particles with diameters of 100–200 nm. High porosity and good adhesion are obtained in the carbon cloth supported LiFePO 4 /N-C films (CC + LiFePO 4 /N-C films). As compared to the LiFePO 4 /C powder nanoparticles, the CC + LiFePO 4 /N-C films show much better electrochemical properties with higher capacities, smaller polarization and better high-rate cycling life. A high capacity of 169 mAh g −1 at 1C is achieved for the carbon cloth supported LiFePO 4 /N-C films, superior to the LiFePO 4 /C powder nanoparticles (154 mAh g −1 at 5C). This enhancement is owing to the unique integrated porous architecture and N-C coating. Our work shows a new way to construct integrated cathode for application in LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]