NASICON-type Li0.5M0.5Ti1.5Fe0.5(PO4)3 (M = Mn, Co, Mg) phosphates as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

A correlation between the crystal structure, the ionic conductivity and the electrochemical performance in Lithium-ion batteries was established for a series of NASICON-type phosphates Li0.5M0.5Ti1.5Fe0.5(PO4)3 (M = Mn, Co, Mg). These electrode materials, where the M1 site contains both lithium and the divalent cation M, were prepared using a simple sol-gel process while controlling the pH and the final synthesis temperature. The three phosphates crystallize in the rhombohedral system (S.G. R-3c) with comparable unit cell parameters but with slight difference in the local distortion of the PO4 tetrahedra as confirmed by the Raman study. The ionic conductivities of the Li0.5M0.5Ti1.5Fe0.5(PO4)3 materials were measured at different temperatures using a wide range of frequencies. Mn-based phosphate shows the best features for application as electrode material for Li-ion batteries in term of the conductivity at room temperature and the activation energy of Li+ conduction process. The initial discharge capacity of 100 mAh.g − 1 was obtained for the Mg-based phosphate, 104.3 mAh.g − 1 for the Co-based material while the Mn-based material delivers the best first discharge capacity of 125.3 mAh.g − 1 with the lowest polarization in relation with its better conduction properties. This result was also confirmed by the rate capability tests where Mn-based phosphate shows enhanced electrochemical performance even at fast rate of 5C.