LiFePO4 doped with magnesium prepared by hydrothermal reaction in glucose solution

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) doped with magnesium was hydrothermally synthesized from commercial LiOH, FeSO4, H3PO4 and MgSO4 with glucose as carbon precursor in aqueous solution. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and constant charge–discharge cycling. The results show that the synthesized powders have been in situ coated with carbon precursor produced from caramel reaction of glucose. At ambient temperature (28 ± 2 °C), the electrochemical performances of LiFePO4 prepared exhibit the high discharge capacity of 135 mAh g−1 at 5C and good capacity retention of 98% over 90 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performances should be correlated with the intimate contact between carbon and LiFePO4 primary and secondary particles, resulting from the in situ formation of carbon precursor/carbon, leading to the increase in conductivity of LiFePO4.