Hierarchically porous LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4@C microspherical cathode materials prepared by a facile template-free hydrothermal method for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

A simple and scalable method has been developed to fabricate hierarchically porous LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4@C microspheres via a template-free hydrothermal route, which involves the formation and self-assembly of nanoparticles, followed by the dissolution-precipitation process during the hydrothermal reaction. After a simple carbon coating, the obtained porous LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4@C microspheres simultaneously integrate hierarchical porous microspherical structures, nano-sized LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4 primary particles with high crystallinity, and uniform carbon coating in the thorough interior. Their unique structures can ensure high ionic and electronic conductivity during the electrochemical reaction of the LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4@C cathode materials. Therefore, very high discharge capacities of 147.8, 144.2, 138.6 and 134.9 mAh g(-1) at the current rate of 0.2 C at 100th, 200th, 300th and 500th cycle could be achieved for the porous LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4@C microspheres. These encouraging results suggest that the hierarchically porous LiMn0.1Fe0.9PO4@C microsphere prepared by the facile and efficient template-free hydrothermal method should be a promising candidate cathode material for the advanced lithium-ion battery. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.