Hydrothermal synthesis of monodispersed LiFePO4 cathode materials in alcohol–water mixed solutions

Monodispersed LiFePO4 powders were prepared by thermal decomposition of Fe(II)–citric acid complex precursor and application of isopropanol as a dielectric constant tuner. The powders morphology was greatly influenced by the volume ratio of isopropanol to water (RH ratio). Monodispersed short rod-like LiFePO4 crystals were obtained when RH ratio was 1.0, while column-like LiFePO4 particles composed of much smaller crystals were produced when isopropanol was absent.