Hydrothermal synthesis of spindle-like Li2FeSiO4-C composite as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, we report on the preparation of Li2FeSiO4, sintered Li2FeSiO4, and Li2FeSiO4-C composite with spindle-like morphologies and their application as cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries. Spindle-like Li2FeSiO4 was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method with (NH4)(2)Fe(SO4)(2) as the iron source. The spindle-like Li2FeSiO4 was sintered at 600 degrees C for 6 h in Ar atmosphere. Li2FeSiO4-C composite was obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of spindle-like Li2FeSiO4 in glucose solution at 190 degrees C for 3 h. Electrochemical measurements show that after carbon coating, the electrode performances such as discharge capacity and high-rate capability are greatly enhanced. In particular, Li2FeSiO4-C with carbon content of 7.21 wt% delivers the discharge capacities of 160.9 mAh.g(-1) at room temperature and 213 mAh.g(-1) at 45 degrees C (0.1 degrees C), revealing the potential application in lithium-ion batteries.