Study of LiFePO4 by cyclic voltammetry

A systematic study of LiFePO4 with cyclic voltammetry (CV) was conducted using thin electrodes with a loading of 4 mg/cm(2). Peak current of the CV profile was proportional to the square root of scan rate under 0.2 mV/s. Results were analyzed using a reversible reaction model with a resistive behavior. This resistance was consistent with other resistances obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and charge-discharge curves. Apparent Li diffusion constants of 2.2x10(-14) and 1.4x10(-14) cm(2)/s were obtained at 25 degrees C for charging and discharging LiFePO4 electrodes in 1 M LiPF6 ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate=3:7 by volume, respectively. Activation energies of the apparent diffusion constants and electrode resistance are about 0.4 eV. These parameters are good indicators for assessing the effectiveness of material modifications such as surface coating and doping.