Development and challenges of LiFePO4 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

The olivine LiFePO4 now stands as a competitive candidate of cathode material for the next generation of a green and sustainable lithium-ion battery system due to its long life span, abundant resources, low toxicity, and high thermal stability. In this review, we focus on LiFePO4 and discuss its structure, synthesis, electrochemical behavior, mechanism, and the problems encountered in its application. The major goal is to highlight some recent development of LiFePO4 with high rate capability, high energy density, and excellent cyclability resulting from conductive coating, nanocrystallization, or preparation.