A novel assembly of LiFePO4 microspheres from nanoplates

In this work, LiFePO4 microspheres with an enhanced tap density were assembled from nanoplates via solvothermal treatment with TiN nanoparticles as a conductive connector. By altering the amount of introduced TiN nanoparticles, the morphology of the as-prepared LiFePO4 can be tailored. It is demonstrated that TiN nanoparticles favor crystal growth along the b axis by breaking the surfactant blocking barrier, which has a significant effect upon the assembly of LiFePO4 nanoplates. Enhanced electronic and ionic conductivity of a LiFePO4 electrode is confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and linear voltage scanning methods, which are beneficial to the battery performance.