Structure of Li2FeSiO4.

A large-scale lithium-ion battery is the key technology toward a greener society. A lithium iron silicate system is rapidly attracting much attention as the new important developmental platform of cathode material with abundant elements and possible multielectron reactions. The hitherto unsolved crystal structure of the typical composition Li2FeSiO4 has now been determined using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction experiments. The structure has a 2 times larger superlattice compared to the previous beta-Li3PO4-based model, and its origin is the periodic modulation of coordination tetrahedra.