Microwave synthesis of copper network onto lithium iron phosphate cathode materials for improved electrochemical performance

Enhanced Electrochemical Performances of Cu/CuxO-Composite-Decorated LiFePO4 through a Facile Magnetron Sputtering

“…Metallic copper, as we know, can supply good electronic conductivity. The studies about introducing metallic copper to ameliorate the electrochemical performance of LiFePO 4 have been reported. − For example, Croce et al have successfully synthesized LiFePO 4 /metal (e.g., copper) composite material through involving metal nanoparticles with a concentration of 1 wt % during the sol–gel preparation process . The metal addition considerably enhances Li-ion transfer kinetics.…”

“…The composite can deliver more capacity than pure one, which is ascribed to the decrease of charge transfer resistance resulting from the enhancement of electric conductivity between the particles via the nanoscale copper introduction. Employing the microwave-assisted method, Hsieh et al have fabricated the Cu network onto LiFePO 4 powders, which can provide an efficient electric migration pathway for active material . As a result, the electrode polarization of LiFePO 4 is alleviated, and specific capacity is promoted.…”

“…Employing the microwaveassisted method, Hsieh et al have fabricated the Cu network onto LiFePO 4 powders, which can provide an efficient electric migration pathway for active material. 24 As a result, the electrode polarization of LiFePO 4 is alleviated, and specific capacity is promoted. It is not difficult to find that excellent electrochemical performances of the cell can be obtained through blending copper together with active powder.…”

Electrochemical comparison of LiFePO4 synthesized by a solid-state method using either microwave heating or a tube furnace

“…Some strategies have been investigated with the aim of improving the material behavior, such as making smaller particles, covering the material with a conductive shell such as carbon [7][8][9], or doping with other metallic ions [10,11]. The traditional LiFePO 4 /C synthesis method via the solid phase pathway consists of two heating stages, each of which can take between 5 and 24 h. The first of them is the synthesis step and is carried out at temperatures close to 350°C, causing the reactants to form LiFePO 4 /C.…”

“…However, the synthesis of LiFePO 4 is not easily performed because of the iron oxidation state, so it has usually been controlled by heating the furnace with reductive or inert gas flow for several hours, which is not only an expensive procedure (in terms of the energy involved and because of the necessity of using an inert atmosphere), but is also difficult to apply on an industrial scale. One possible way to overcome this issue is through microwave processing, which has been applied in the preparation of many materials and has been used for the successful synthesis of LiFePO 4 compounds [10][11][12][13][14]. In fact, microwave irradiation is highly beneficial for solid-state reactions since substances are heated uniformly at the molecular level, in contrast with conventional heating where samples are heated from the outer surface inwards, resulting in a steep thermal gradient.…”