Reduced graphene oxide modified Li2FeSiO4/C composite with enhanced electrochemical performance as cathode material for lithium ion batteries.

Reduced graphene oxide modified Li2FeSiO4/C (LFS/(C+rGO)) composite is successfully synthesized by a citric-acid-based sol-gel method and evaluated as cathode material for lithium ion batteries. The LFS/(C+rGO) shows an improved electronic conductivity due to the conductive network formed by reduced graphene oxide nanosheets and amorphous carbon in particles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicate an increased diffusion coefficient of lithium ions (2.4 × 10(-11) cm(2) s(-1)) for LFS/(C+rGO) electrode. Compared with LFS with only amorphous carbon, the LFS/(C+rGO) electrode exhibits higher capacity and better cycling stability. It delivers a reversible capacity of 178 mAh g(-1) with a capacity retention ratio of 94.5% after 40 cycles at 0.1 C, and an average capacity of 119 mAh g(-1) at 2 C. The improved performance can be contributed to the reduced crystal size, good particle dispersion, and the improved conductive network between LFS particles.