Surface modification by silver coating for improving electrochemical properties of LiFePO4

LiFePO4 is a potential candidate for the cathode material of the lithium secondary battery. Fine particle LiFePO4 was synthesized by the simple co-precipitation method, and aqueous coating on the LiFePO4 was tried using silver nitrate solution in order to increase electronic conductivity. Highly dispersed silver on the particles enhances the electronic conductivity and increases the capacity. The electrochemical properties of the silver coated LiFePO4 with the various current densities are analogous to those of highly conductive LiFePO4. The silver coating can be a promising tool to preserve the capacity even at the high current densities. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.