The effect of NiO as graphitization catalyst on the structure and electrochemical performance of LiFePO4/C cathode materials

The NiO doped LiFePO 4 /C composite was synthesized by a simple solid state method. The structure and morphology of synthesized particles were characterized by XRD, Raman spectrum , SEM, TEM and EDS. Electrochemical performance of the pristine and nickel oxide modified samples was evaluated by galvanostatic charge-discharge test, CV , and EIS . The results indicate that NiO doped LiFePO 4 /Li type coin cell exhibits improved specific capacity and cycle stability, especially at high rates. Among all the modified samples, the 5.0%wt NiO doped sample shows the best electrochemical performance, which achieves a specific capacity of 129   mA   h   g −1 at 1   C current rate due to the modest graphitization of carbon layer on the surface of LiFePO 4 particles. The results indicate that nickel oxide modification is an effective way to improve the electrochemical performance of LiFePO 4 /C cathode materials for lithium ion batteries .