Template-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanoembossed Mesoporous LiFePO₄ Microspheres for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Nanoembossed mesoporous LiFePO4 microspheres were first synthesized by a template-free hydrothermal process. These microspheres show a quite uniform size distribution of ∼3 μm and are composed of many densely aggregated ∼100 nm nanoparticles and interconnected nanochannels. This mesoporous structure can allow sucrose to penetrate into the spheres easily and generate a thorough carbon coating on the surface of the nanoparticles in the interior of the spheres. The composite materials' physical properties were further characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, TG, BET surface area, and Raman spectroscopy. These microspheres as a cathode-active material show high tap density (1.4 g cm−3), excellent high rate capability (115 mAh g−1, 10 C), and cycling stability, possibly fulfilling the requirements of rechargeable lithium batteries for upcoming high power applications.