Nanocrystalline LiFePO4/graphene-carbon nanotubes composite for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Yiming Chen; Xingling Lei; Haiyan Zhang

Open Conference Systems, International Conference on Electrochemical Energy and Technology

Yiming Chen, Xingling Lei, Haiyan Zhang

Last modified: 2014-10-15

Abstract

Nanocrystalline LiFePO₄/graphene-carbon nanotubes (LFP-G-CNTs) composite was synthesized by hydrothermal method followed with heat-treatment. The microstructure and morphology of LFP-G-CNTs composite was investigated comparatively with LiFePO₄/graphene (LFP-G) and LiFePO₄/carbon nanotubes (LFP-CNTs) by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The LFP-G-CNTs nanoparticles were wrapped homogeneously and loosely with a graphene-carbon nanotubes 3D conducting network. The conducting networks provided highly conductive pathways for electron transfer during the intercalation/deintercalation process, facilitated electron migration throughout the secondary particles, accelerated the penetration of the liquid electrolyte into the LFP-G-CNTs composite in all directions so as to enhance the Li-ions diffusion. The cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrate that the LFP-G-CNTs composite has good electrochemical performance, which exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 168.4 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C and 103.9 mAh g⁻¹at 20 C, respectively, as well as an excellent cycling stability.

Keywords

LiFePO4; graphene; carbon nanotubes; lithium-ion batteries

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