A gelatin-based sol-gel procedure to synthesize the LiFePO4/C nanocomposite for lithium ion batteries

An additive-free gelatin-based sol-gel procedure was developed to synthesize the nanosized LiFePO4/C powders for lithium ion batteries. The as-synthesized product exhibits a narrow particle size distribution (100-300 nm), and it has a tap density of 1.42 g cm(-3). It is found that the LiFePO4/C nanocomposite cathode shows excellent cycle ability with capacity retention of 95.2% at 0.2 C after 100 cycles. Moreover, the battery has achieved an improved rate performance, and the discharge capacity of the cathode can reach 128 mAh g(-1) at 5 C. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.