Anode property of carbon coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals

Nanostructured LiFePO4 is appealing cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. Herein, however, we report the intriguing anode properties of carbon coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals. In the potential range of 0-3.0 V, the LiFePO4 nanocrystal electrodes afford high reversible capacity of 373 mAh g(-1) at a current rate of 0.05 Ag-1 and retains 239 mAh g(-1) at a much higher rate of 1.25 A g(-1). In addition, it is capable of sustaining 1000 cycles at 1.25 A g(-1) without any capacity fading. Such superior properties indicate that nanostructured LiFePO4 could also be promising anode for rechargeable battery applications.