CAM sol–gel synthesized LiMPO4 (M=Co, Ni) cathodes for rechargeable lithium batteries

The emerging category cathode candidates such as LiCoPO4 and LiNiPO4 were synthesized at 800 °C using Citric acid assisted modified sol–gel (CAM sol–gel) method and examined for possible lithium intercalation behavior. Compound formation temperature is confirmed from thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA). Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern evidenced the absence of undesirable peaks and confirmed the formation of phase pure LiMPO4 (M=Co, Ni) compounds with an orthorhombic structure and finer crystallite size. Presence of nanosized particles as observed from TEM image of LiCoPO4 and the presence of preferred local cation environment as understood from FT–IR studies are the added advantages of CAM sol–gel synthesis. Further, Cyclic voltametry (CV) and Impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies performed on the synthesized LiCoPO4 and LiNiPO4 cathodes revealed excellent reversibility and structural stability of CAM sol–gel synthesized cathodes, especially upon storage as well as during cycling.