Synthesis of LiFePO4/C composite with high-rate performance by starch sol assisted rheological phase method

LiFePO4/C composite was synthesized at 600 °C in an Ar atmosphere by a soluble starch sol assisted rheological phase method using home-made amorphous nano-FePO4 as the iron source. XRD, SEM and TEM observations show that the LiFePO4/C composite has good crystallinity, ultrafine sphere-like particles of 100–200 nm size and in situ carbon. The synthesized LiFePO4 could inherit the morphology of FePO4 precursor. The electrochemical performance of the LiFePO4 by galvanostatic cycling studies demonstrates excellent high-rate cycle stability. The Li/LiFePO4 cell displays a high initial discharge capacity of more than 157 mAh g−1 at 0.2C and a little discharge capacity decreases from the first to the 80th cycle (>98.3%). Remarkably, even at a high current density of 30C, the cell still presents good cycle retention.