Electrochemical Characteristics of Carbon-coated LiFePO4 as a Cathode Material for Lithium Ion Secondary Batteries

Abstract

The electrochemical properties of LiFePO4 as a cathode for Li-ion batteries were improved by incorporating conductive carbon into the LiFePO4. X-ray diffraction analysis and SEM observations revealed that the carbon-coated LiFePO4 consisted of fine single crystalline particles, which were smaller than the bare LiFePO4. The electrochemical performance of the carbon-coated LiFePO4 was tested under various conditions. The carbon-coated LiFePO4 showed much better performance in terms of the discharge capacity and cycling stability than the bare LiFePO4. The improved electrochemical performances were found to be attributed to the reduced particle size and enhanced electrical conductivity of the LiFePO4 by the carbon.