Synthesis of flexible LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4/C microsphere and its synergetic effects with blended LiNi0.85Co0.10Al0.05O2 electrodes

The transition towards a new energy system has proliferated demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) cathode materials with stable performance. To enhance the performance of the cathode materials, here-in, flexible LiMn 0.8 Fe 0.2 PO 4 /C (LMFP) dense microspheres with primary nanocrystalline are prepared by spray drying and solid state sintering. Coating the LiMn 0.8 Fe 0.2 PO 4 primary nanocrystalline with a conformal carbon nanolayer (∼3 nm) significantly improves the electronic conductivity of the active cathode material. The prepared LMFP cathode exhibited excellent rate performance with a discharge capacity of 129.1 mAh g −1 at 10C. Furthermore, the LMFP cathode depicted excellent cyclic stability, maintained a capacity retention of 95% after 1000 cycles at 1C and only 0.0073 mAh g −1 loss per cycle. Thermodynamics, surface morphology, phase structure, and electrochemical performance were used to investigate the effect of blending flexible LMFP and Ni-rich LiNi 0.85 Co 0.10 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA) electrodes. The results depict that the thermal stability and cyclic reversibility of blending electrodes are significantly improved compared with the pristine NCA, and the blended electrodes display superior comprehensive properties. • Flexible LMFP nanocrystalline microspheres was prepared by a scalable route. • An e − /Li + 3D transport network was successfully constructed for LMFP microspheres. • The LMFP exhibits an excellent rate performance and long cycling durability. • The blended cathode shows a satisfactory energy density and thermal stability. • Synergies between stability of LMFP and energy density of Ni-rich NCA are realized.