Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Li₂FeSiO₄/C/Ag composite as a cathode material for Li-ion battery

Abstract

Li₂FeSiO₄ is deemed to be a potential candidate for large-scale applications because of its abundance, low cost and high safety, etc. Unfortunately, its low conductivity, resulting in poor rate performance, has become a main obstacle to its applications in power battery and energy storage system. In this work, C-Ag coated Li₂FeSiO₄ is introduced to improve the innate electronic conductivity and Li-ion diffusion ability. The results demonstrate that Li₂FeSiO₄/C/Ag composite exhibits better electrochemical performance. It possesses a specific discharge capacity of 152, 121, 108 mA∙h/g at 0.2C, 5C and 10C, respectively. At the same time, the Li₂FeSiO₄ /C/Ag composite shows good cycle stability and a capacity retention ratio of 97.9% after 100 cycles at 1C.

Keywords

lithium-ion batteries / cathode material / Li₂FeSiO₄ / pitch / C-Ag coating

References

[1] LiuX-y, YangR, DengK-f, RenBing. Progress in the structure and modification of orthosilicates as cathode materials [J]. Battery Bimonthly, 2014, 44(5): 303-306

[2] BaoL-y, GaoW, SuY-f, WangZ, LiN, ChenS, WuFen. Progression of the silicate cathode materials used in lithium ion batteries [J]. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2013, 58(9): 783-792

[3] ZhuH, WuX-z, LingZ, ZhangY-xiang. Superior electrochemical capability of Li₂FeSiO₄/C/G composite as cathode material for Li-ion batteries [J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2014, 117(4): 34-40

[4] DominkoR. Li₂FeSiO₄ (M=Fe and/or Mn) cathode materials [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2008, 184(2): 462-468

[5] ZhangS, DengC, FuB L, YangS Y, MaL. Doping effects of magnesium on the electrochemical performance of Li₂FeSiO₄ for lithium ion batteries [J]. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2010, 644(2): 150-154

[6] ZuoP-j, WangT, ChengG-y, ChengX-q, DuC-y, YinG-ping. Effects of carbon on the structure and electrochemical performance of Li₂FeSiO₄ cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries [J]. RSC Advances, 2012, 2(17): 6994-6998

[7] WangK, RenW-j, YangJ-l, TanR, LiuY-d, PanFeng. Depolarization effects of Li₂FeSiO₄ nanocrystals wrapped in different conductive carbon networks as cathodes for high performance lithium-ion batteries [J]. RSC Advances, 2016, 6(53): 47723-47729

[8] ZhaoY, LiJ-x, WangN, WuC-x, DingY-h, GuanL- hui. In situ generation of Li₂FeSiO₄ coating on MWNT as a high rate cathode material for lithium ion batteries [J]. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2012, 22(36): 18797-18800

[9] WangK, TengG-f, YangJ-l, TanR, DuanY-d, ZhengJ-x, PanFeng. Sn(II,IV) steric and electronic structure effects enable self-selective doping on Fe/Si-sites of Li₂FeSiO₄ nanocrystals for high performance lithium ion batteries [J]. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2015, 3(48): 24437-24445

[10] ChenW-h, ZhuD, LiY-y, LiC-p, FengX-m, GuanX-x, YangC-c, ZhangJ-m, MiL-wei. How to synthesize pure Li₂-_xFeSi₁-_xP_xO₄/C(x=0.03-0.15) easily from low-cost Fe³⁺ as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries [J]. Dalton Transactions, 2015, 44(33): 14805-14812

[11] ArachiY, HiguchiY, NakamuraR, TakagiY, TabuchiM. Synthesis and electrical property of Li₂-_xFeSi1-_xP_xO₄ as positive electrodes by spark-plasma-sintering process [J]. Journal Power Sources, 2013, 244: 631-635

[12] GaoH-y, HuZ, YangJ-g, ChenJun. Li₂-_xFe1-_xAl_xSiO₄/C nanocomposites cathodes for lithium-ion batteries [J]. Energy Technology, 2014, 2(4): 355-361

[13] QiuH-l, YueH-j, JuY-m, ZhangY-q, GuoZ-d, WangC-z, ChenG, WeiY-j, ZhangDong. Enhanced electrochemical performance of Li₂FeS_iO₄/C positive electrodes for lithium-ion batteries via yttrium doping [J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2016, 188: 636-644

[14] YangJ-l, ZhengJ-x, KangX-c, TengG-f, HuL, TanR, WangK, SongX-h, MuS-c, PanFeng. Tuning structural stability and lithium-storage properties by d-orbital hybridization substitution in full tetrahedron Li₂FeSiO₄ nanocrystal [J]. Nano Energy, 2016, 20: 117-125

[15] QuL, LuoD, FangS, QuL, LuoD, FangS-h, LiuY, YangL, HiranoS-i, YangC-chen. Mg-dopedLi₂FeSiO₄/C as high-performance cathode material for lithium-ion battery [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2016, 307: 69-76

[16] HaoH, WangJ, LiuJ, HaoH, WangJ-b, LiuJ-l, HuangT, YuA-shui. Synthesis characterization and electrochemical performance of Li₂FeSiO₄/C cathode materials doped by vanadium at Fe/Si sites for lithium ion batteries [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2012, 210(9): 397-401

[17] ZhangS, DengC, FuB L, ZhangS, DengC, FuB L, YangS Y, MaL. Effects of Cr doping on the electrochemical properties of Li₂FeSiO₄ cathode material for lithium-ion batteries [J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2010, 55(28): 8482-8489

[18] DengC, ZhangS, YangS Y, FuB L, MaL. Synthesis and characterization of Li₂Fe_0.97M_0.03SiO₄ (M=Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺) cathode materials for lithium ion batteries [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2011, 196(1): 386-39

[19] GongZ L, LiY X, HeG N, LiJ, YangY. Nanostructured Li₂FeSiO₄ electrode material synthesized through hydrothermal-assisted sol-gel process [J]. Electrochemical Solid-State Letters, 2008, 11(5): A60-A63

[20] ZhangS, DengC, YangS-yu. Preparation of nano-Li₂FeSiO₄ as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries [J]. Electrochemical Solid-State Letters, 2009, 12(7): A136-A139

[21] YanZ-p, CaiS, ZhouX, ZhaoY-m, MiaoL-juan. Sol-gel synthesis of nanostructured Li₂FeSiO₄/C as cathode material for lithium ion battery [J]. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2012, 159(6): A894-A898

[22] RangappaD, MurukanahallyK D, TomaiT, UnemotoA, HonmaI. Ultrathin nanosheets of Li₂MSiO₄ (M=Fe, Mn) as high-capacity Li-ion battery electrode [J]. Nano Letters, 2012, 12(3): 1146-1151

[23] HasegawaG, SannobeM, IshiharaY, KanamoriK, NakanishiK, AbeT. New Li₂FeSiO₄-carbon monoliths with controlled macropores: Effects of pore properties on electrode performance [J]. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Pccp, 2013, 15: 8736-8743

[24] ChenZ-x, QiuS, CaoY-l, QianJ-f, AiX-p, XieK, HongX-b, YangH-xi. Hierarchical porous Li₂FeSiO₄/C composite with 2 Li storage capacity and long cycle stability for advanced Li-ion batteries [J]. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2013, 1(16): 4988-4992

[25] HuangX-b, LiX, WangH-y, PanZ-l, QuM-z, YuZ-long. Synthesis and electrochemical performance of Li₂FeSiO₄/C as cathode material for lithium batteries [J]. Solid State Ionics, 2010, 181: 1451-1455

[26] NishimuraS C, HayaseS, KannoR. Structure of Li₂FeSiO₄ [J]. J Am Chem Soc, 2008, 130: 13212-13213

[27] AvciE, MazmanM, UzunD, BicerE, SenerT. High performance LiFePO₄/CNcathode material promoted by polyaniline as carbon-nitrogen precursor [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2013, 240(1): 328-337

[28] ZhangJ-w, CaiY-r, WuJ, YaoJ-ming. Graphene oxide-confined synthesis of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ microspheres as high-performance anodes for lithium ion batteries [J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2015, 165: 422-429

[29] NienY H, CareyJ R, ChenJ S. Physical and electrochemical properties of LiFePO₄/C composite cathode prepared from various polymer-containing precursors [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2009, 193: 822-827

[30] SunD, ZhuX-b, LuoB, ZhangY, TangY-g, WangH-y, WangL-zhou. New binder-free metal phosphide-carbon felt composite anodes for sodium-ion battery [J]. Advanced Energy Materials, 20181801197

[31] LvY-r, ZhangL, ChengG, WangP-f, ZhangT-z, LiC-c, JiangY-q, HeZ-x, DaiL, WangLing. Preparation of carbon nanosheet by molten salt route and its application in catalyzing VO²⁺/VO²⁺ redox reaction [J]. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2019, 166(6): A953-A959

[32] XiaoW, WangZ-y, ZhangY, FangR, YuanZ, MiaoC, YanX-m, JiangYu. Enhanced performance of P(VDF-HFP)-based composite polymer electrolytes doped with organic-inorganic hybrid particles PMMA-ZrO₂ for lithium ion batteries [J]. Journal of Power Sources, 2018, 382: 128-134

[33] XiaoW, WangZ-y, MiaoC, MeiP, ZhangY, YanX-m, TianM-l, JiangY, LiuJ-jing. Electrolytes doped with spherical-like and honeycomb structural Li_0.1Ca_0.9TiO₃ particles [J]. Front Chem, 2018, 6: 525

[34] HeZ-x, LiM-m, LiY-h, LiC-c, YiZ, ZhuJ, DaiL, MengW, ZhouH-z, WangLing. ZrO₂ nanoparticle embedded carbon nanofibers by electrospinning technique as advanced negative electrode materials for vanadium redox flow battery [J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2019, 309166-176