Effects of Silver Nanowires on The Electrochemical Performance of LiFePO4

Abstract

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, an important drawback of this material is its poor conductivity. In this approach, a simple approach is firstly proposed to enhance the conductivity of LiFePO4 cathodes by dispersing conductive Ag nanowires to these cathodes. LiFePO4/Ag nanowires composite cathodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FSEM), and their electrochemical performance were evaluated by charge/discharge tests. It is demonstrated that the capacity and rate capability of LiFePO4/Ag nanowires composite cathodes can be improved considerably by the addition of Ag nanowires. Especially, discharge capacities are improved from ~110 mAh g-1 of LiFePO4 cathodes to ~150 mAh g-1 for LiFePO4/Ag nanowires composite cathodes at 0.2 C. Therefore, LiFePO4/Ag nanowires cathodes can be used as an attractive positive electrode candidate for lithium-ion batteries.

Keywords

• nanostructures
• ag nanowires
• lifepo4
• conductivity
• electrochemical performance