Lithium iron oxide as alternative anode for Li-ion batteries

Lithium-iron oxide Li-Fe-O was synthesized by solid state reaction between Li2CO3 and Fe2O3. The sample was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. The XRD patterns showed well defined reflections corresponding to alpha-LiFeO2 and the spinel LiFe5O8 in a molar ratio of 9:1. The material was tested as alternative anode for lithium-ion batteries. It exhibited good cyclability delivering about 120 mAh/g after 500 deep charge/discharge cycles. Unlikely, the use of the material as intercalation anode in practical cells is hindered by the irreversible uptake of lithium that takes place during the first lithium insertion. X-ray diffraction pattern showed that during this step a reduction of the lithium iron oxide occurs leading to the formation of lithium oxide and iron metal. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.