Design and synthesis of high performance LiFePO4/C nanomaterials for lithium ion batteries assisted by a facile H+/Li+ ion exchange reaction

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to determine a novel and universal method for the lithiation of amorphous hydrated FePO₄, typically a nanoscale FePO₄/polyaniline composite, by a facile H⁺/Li⁺ ion exchange reaction proceeding in a nonaqueous medium that was rigorously deduced and studied with the help of several chemical/physical analytical techniques. The resulting Li-derivative is proved to be a desirable precursor for fabricating LiFePO₄/C nanomaterials with ideal structural features containing highly crystalline LiFePO₄ nanoparticles completely coated with N-doped conductive carbon. More importantly, the LiFePO₄/C nanomaterial is capable of offering excellent rate capability and appealing cyclability that was strongly supported by the results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests.