Electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 nanorods obtained from hydrothermal process

LiFePO4 is a promising candidate for the use as cathode material in lithium-ion batteries, especially the batteries for hybrid electric vehicles or pure electric vehicles. In this paper, a facile hydrotherrnal process to obtain the pure and well-crystallized LiFePO4 nanorods is presented. The phase purity of the powder and valence state of Fe ions were confirmed by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer measurements respectively. Transmission electron microscopy observation revealed uniform rod like shape and a preferred growth along b axis direction for the prepared powder. Electrochemical test showed a good capacity and a stable cycling performance of the nanorods, suggesting a potential for further investigation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.