Characterisation of olivine-type LiMnxFe1−xPO4 cathode materials

A series of LiMnxFe1−xPO4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1) compounds were synthesised by a sol–gel preparation route. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld structure refinement revealed that the lattice parameters (a, b and c) of orthorhombic LiMnxFe1−xPO4 increase with increasing Mn content. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show antiferromagnetic behaviour for LiMnxFe1−xPO4 samples. The electrochemical properties of LiMnxFe1−xPO4 as cathodes in lithium-ion cells were tested via cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements. The electrochemical performance of LiMnxFe1−xPO4 degrades with increasing Mn content.