A facile synthesis route for porous spherical LiFePO4/C microscale secondary particles

Porous spherical LiFePO4/C microscale secondary particles have been synthesized by the low-temperature hydrothermal method combined with high-temperature calcinations. The synthetic method is facile and easy to scale-up. The spherical microscale secondary particles (5–6 μm) with porous structures are composed of carbon-coated primary nanoparticles (40–80 nm), which posses high electronic conductivity, short lithium ion diffusion paths, and high tap density of approximately 1.4 g cm−3. The product delivers desirable electrochemical performances, such as a high rate capacity of 95 mA h g−1 at 5C and stable cycle life. The LiFePO4 electrode with desired features is a promising cathode candidate for high-power rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

► Porous spherical LiFePO4/C microparticles have been synthesized via a novel route.
► LiFePO4/C microparticles have high tap density of approximately 1.4 g cm−3.
► LiFePO4/C microparticles deliver desirable electrochemical performances.