Fabrication and characterization of LiFePO4 nanotubes by a sol-gel-AAO template process

The LiFePO4 nanotubes were successfully fabricated by a sol-gel method with porous anodic aluminum oxide as the template. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that the synthesized LiFePO4 nanotubes were monodispersed and parallel to one another. Selected area electron diffraction pattern, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations jointly demonstrated that the synthesized LiFePO4 nanotubes were pure olivine structure. This approach offered a potentially way for fabricating ordered LiFePO4 nanotubes at room temperature and ambient conditions, which might be expected to find promising application as a new cathode material in lithium ion battery.