Electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 nanoplates prepared under hydrothermal conditions througth self-assembly mechanism

Plate-like LiFePO₄ architectures consisting of self-assembled nanorods were obtained through a simple hydrothermal process. XRD investigation revealed a pure LiFePO₄ phase in orthorhombic structure and, the Mössbauer spectrum confirmed that all the Fe ions were kept in +2 valence state. SEM observation showed that the platy architectures were formed by the self-assembly of LiFePO₄ nanorods. Further investigation conducted with HRTEM indicated that, the single nanoplates were formed by stacking of LiFePO₄ nanorods along [100] and [010] directions in the ab plane. Such stacking sequence produced plate-like structures with c axis kept perpendicular to the plate surface, and therefore a very short diffusion path be provided once the self assembles were used as the cathodic electrodes. Electrochemical studies revealed average capacity of 153 mAh/g, showing good electrochemical performance and high potential for further application.