Direct formation of LiFePO4/graphene composite via microwave-assisted polyol process

•One-step synthesis of LiFePO4 particles and graphene nanosheets simultaneously.•Microwave-assisted polyol reaction directly produces LFP/GNs composite cathode.•The LFP/GNs cathode exhibited enhanced electrochemical properties versus lithium.•The study offers opportunities to produce graphene based composite electrodes.

The present study reports on the direct synthesis of LiFePO4 nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets to form a composite cathode (LFP/GNs) in a one-step microwave-assisted polyol reaction. The polyol reaction induced by microwave irradiation for a few minutes produces nanocrystalline LFP and graphene nanosheets simultaneously from lithium, iron and phosphorus and carbon (5 wt% of graphite oxide) sources, respectively, used as starting precursors. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies on microwave-reacted sample obtained using just graphite oxide confirms the formation of graphene nanosheets separately. Whereas, electron microscopy studies on the LFP/GNs composite reveals that olivine nanoparticles of average sizes ranging between 5 and 20 nm are well-dispersed on the graphene nanosheets. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the LiFePO4/GNs nanocomposite cathodes registered enhanced discharge capacities (79 and 108 mAh g−1 for the as-prepared and annealed composite cathodes, respectively) at 32 C rates with good capacity retention capabilities. The AC impedance measurements confirm that the enhanced cathode properties of the LFP/GNs nanocomposite are ascribed to the improved electronic conductivity of the graphene nanosheets and the nano-sized particles. The slightly better electrochemical properties of the annealed LFP/GNs are attributed to its higher crystallinity.

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