Biosynthesis of LiFePO4/C Cathode Materials by a Sol-gel Route for Use in Lithium Ion Batteries

Abstract

Based on the concepts of green science and environmental protection, LiFePO4/C is successfully encapsulated by the biomineralization of nontoxic and pollution-free yeast. A novel biosynthetic sol-gel method is applied to prepare LiFePO4/C, leading to an excellent electrochemical performance compared with that of conventional LiFePO4. Yeast acts as a biocarbon source in the preparation process. The effects of sintering temperature on the electrochemical properties of LiFePO4/C are studied. LiFePO4/C synthesized at 800 degrees C exhibits the best rate capacity of 158.3 mAh/g at 0.1 C, and the discharge capacity remains at 94.3 mAh/g at 5 C after 100 cycles. These results prove that LiFePO4/C synthesized at 800 degrees C has the promise to be a positive-anode active material with excellent properties.