Role of lithium precursor in the structure and electrochemical performance of LiFePO4

This study highlights the importance of precursor selection. Although a great understanding of the materials properties of LiFePO4 has been achieved, the role of the lithium precursor has been almost ignored. The lithium precursor used for synthesis of LiFePO4 influences the structure, particle size and electrochemical properties. A lithium precursor dependent structural change of LiFePO4 was observed from Rietveld refinement; using Li2CO3 instead of LiOH as lithium precursor resulted in a smaller crystal size and improved electrochemical properties.