Fabrication and characteristics of nano LiFePO4/C composites with high capacity and high rate using nano Fe2O3 as raw materials.

Abstract: Nano LiFePO₄/C particles with high capacity and high rate were fabricated by one-step solid-state reaction using nano Fe₂O₃, LiH₂PO₄ and sucrose as raw materials. The effect of synthesis temperature on the morphology and the electrochemical performance was investigated. LiFePO₄/C materials were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the elemental analyzer. The results show that nano Fe₂O₃ can reduce and make uniform the LiFePO₄ grain size (<100nm) effectively as well as accelerate the solid-state reaction kinetics which is a convenient way for industrialization. The precursor sintered at 740°C for 5h exhibits the highest electrochemical capacity (166.9mAh/g at 0.1C) and the best rate performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]