Novel LaFeO₃ Coating Modification for a LiFePO₄ Cathode

Abstract

A LiFePO4 (LFP)-coated cathode with a LaFeO3 (LFO) layer was successfully fabricated. We prepared LFP@C-LFO-x (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt % LFO) composites using hydrothermal synthesis and sol–gel route. The LaFeO3 coating could optimize the kinetic properties of the fabricated cathode, as well increase the ion transport and electronic conductivity of the synthesized composites. As a result, it shows that our composite materials exhibit a remarkably enhanced electrochemical performance under the combined action of the LaFeO3 coating and the carbon layer. When the LFO is 1 wt %, our cathode of LFP@C-LFO-1 has discharge specific capacities of 164.2 and 127.3 mA h g–1 with 0.1 and 5 C and those of the pristine LFP@C are 142.6 and 112.0 mA h g–1. Additionally, the LFP@C-LFO-1-based cathode has a significantly enhanced capacity retention rate (97.98%) compared with that of the LFP@C-based cathode (95.83%) after 100 cycles at 5 C.