High-yield synthesis of LiMnPO4/C nanoplates as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Low yield is a common problem for the solvothermal synthesis of LiMnPO4. Herein, a high-yield synthesis route is developed to obtain novel LiMnPO4/C nanoplates via a facile water-polyethylene glycol (PEG200)-assisted solvothermal approach followed by carbonization treatment. The reactant concentration plays an important role in the formation of LiMnPO4/C by effectively controlling the solution supersaturation of solvothermal reaction. When using optimal Mn concentration of 0.5 mol L−1, the as-prepared LiMnPO4/C exhibits outstanding rate capability with a high reversible value of 100.1 mAh g−1 at 10 C and excellent cycling stability with capacity and energy density retention of ∼89.7% and ∼91.7% after 300 cycles at 0.5 C, respectively, which can be attributed to its typical structure of high crystalline, uniform carbon coating and plate-like morphology with small size of 30∼80 nm along the [010] direction. This work provides a scalable route for the design of high-performance LiMnPO4 materials for commercial lithium-ion batteries.