Electrochemical comparison of LiFePO₄ synthesized by a solid-state method using either microwave heating or a tube furnace

• Autores: Calderón, Cecilia Andrea; Thomas, Jorge Enrique; Lener, Germán; Barraco Díaz, Daniel Eugenio; Visintin, Arnaldo
• Año de publicación: 2017
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Ciencias Exactas; Química; Cathode; Lithium iron phosphate; Lithium-ion battery; Microwave
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de La Plata

LiFePO₄/C composites were successfully prepared by a solid-state reaction in order to compare conventional heat treatment and microwave-assisted synthesis at different times of sintering. Microwave-assisted synthesis is interesting due to the fact that energy and inert gas consumption can be greatly reduced with respect to the conventional treatment, resulting in a cheaper synthesis method. The relationship between particle morphology and crystal structure using the composite synthesis was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) with refinements of the crystal structures carried out by the Rietveld method. In addition, the electrochemical performances were evaluated using constant current charge/discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was observed that the samples prepared by microwave heating had a better electrochemical behavior than those prepared in a conventional furnace. Also, in general, a higher sintering time improved the electrochemical behavior, but with increased particle sizes, and consequently, a decreased specific capacity.
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas
Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas