Economical and efficient synthesis of a uniform LiMn0.6Fe0.4PO4/C cathode for lithium ion batteries via a manganese iron spinel oxide precursor

Manganese-rich olivine phosphates (LiMn y Fe 1-y PO 4 , y > 0.5) are promising as cathodes for lithium ion batteries due to their high energy density and good safety. However, the sluggish kinetics of the Mn 2+ /Mn 3+ redox reaction and inherently low conductivity have impeded the full utilization of their performance. The uniform distribution of transition metal ions is an effective strategy for high performance LiMn y Fe 1-y PO 4 cathode. In this study, leveraging the analogous crystal structures of manganese and iron spinel oxides , we introduce a novel Mn 1.8 Fe 1.2 O 4 precursor. This precursor facilitates the formation of a solid solution phase material with uniform manganese and iron distributions through a chemical coprecipitation method. When employed in the fabrication of LiMn 0.6 Fe 0.4 PO 4 /C composites, improved kinetic conditions for electrochemical reactions due to consistent phase composition, this approach yields an impressive energy density of 593 Wh kg −1 at 0.1C with a middle voltage (3.93 V), 149.8 mAh g −1 at 1C, a superior rate capability of 132.5 mAh g −1 at 10C, and a remarkable capacity retention of 96.5 % after 300 cycles at 1C. Techno-economic analyses further demonstrate that this method offers significant economic and environmental benefits, owing to high material utilization efficiency, minimized emissions, and energy savings. The oxide coprecipitation process presents a sustainable pathway for the industrial-scale synthesis of LiMn y Fe 1-y PO₄ cathodes and potentially extends to other advanced cathodes in high performance lithium ion batteries.