Rapid microwave-solvothermal synthesis of phospho-olivine nanorods and their coating with a mixed conducting polymer for lithium ion batteries

Olivine LiFePO4 nanorods have been synthesized, for the first time, by a rapid microwave-solvothermal approach within 5 min at temperatures as low as 300 °C without requiring any inert atmosphere or post annealing at elevated temperatures in reducing gas atmospheres. The resulting LiFePO4 nanorods have subsequently been encapsulated within a mixed electronically and ionically conducting p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA) doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) at ambient-temperatures to obtain an organic–inorganic nanohybrid. The LiFePO4–PEDOT nanohybrid offers discharge capacity (166 mA h/g) close to the theoretical value (170 mA h/g) with excellent capacity retention and rate capability, reducing significantly the manufacturing cost.