Crystal orientation tuning of LiFePO4 nanoplates for high rate lithium battery cathode materials.

We report the crystal orientation tuning of LiFePO(4) nanoplates for high rate lithium battery cathode materials. Olivine LiFePO(4) nanoplates can be easily prepared by glycol-based solvothermal process, and the largest crystallographic facet of the LiFePO(4) nanoplates, as well as so-caused electrochemical performances, can be tuned by the mixing procedure of starting materials. LiFePO(4) nanoplates with crystal orientation along the ac facet and bc facet present similar reversible capacities of around 160 mAh g(-1) at 0.1, 0.5, and 1 C-rates but quite different ones at high C-rates. The former delivers 156 mAh g(-1) and 148 mAh g(-1) at 5 C-rate and 10 C-rate, respectively, while the latter delivers 132 mAh g(-1) and only 28 mAh g(-1) at 5 C-rate and 10 C-rate, respectively, demonstrating that the crystal orientation plays important role for the performance of LiFePO(4) nanoplates. This paves a facile way to prepare high performance LiFePO(4) nanoplate cathode material for lithium ion batteries.