Insights into the porosity and electrochemical performance of nano Li2FeSiO4 and Li2FeSiO4/C composite cathode materials

Nano-Li2FeSiO4/C composites (LFS/C-325 and LFS/C-221) and nano-Li2FeSiO4 (LFS-325 and LFS-221) with controlled porosity were prepared from the nano-fumed silicas with similar particle size and different porosity. N2 adsorption/desorption analysis reveals that the porosity of nano-Li2FeSiO4/C composites and nano-Li2FeSiO4 can be tuned by the choosing nano -fumed silica and LFS/C-325 possess the highest specific surface area among the four samples. XRD indicates that both LFS/C-325 and LFS/C-221 are crystalline powders with monoclinic Li2FeSiO4 of P21. FTIR spectra show that Li-O and Si-O bonds are existed in the four samples. SEM images demonstrate that LFS/C-325 and LFS/C-221 have similar particle sizes in the range of 20 ~ 25 nm, which are distinctly smaller than those of LFS-325 and LFS-221. LFS/C-325 features the smallest particle size and largest specific area, which enables LFS/C-325 to exhibit the best electrochemical performance. The initial discharge capacity of LFS/C-325 is as high as 185.2 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C.