Marca Doeff, Robert Kostecki, and colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have developed improved carbon coatings for LiFePO4 materials used in lithium ion batteries. The coatings enhance electrochemical performance without sacrificing the energy density of the battery. The researchers have produced very thin carbon coatings ( <10 nm) on nonconductive LiFePO4 particles, increasing the electronic conductivity of the composite as much as six orders of magnitude compared to the native material. The low carbon content (<2 wt. %) allows high power operation without compromising energy density. The coatings are extremely durable; no evidence of degradation was found after more than 100 full charge-discharge cycles. The process involves co-synthesizing LiFePO4 and carbon by adding optimal amounts of specific organic and organometallic pecursors to the reaction mixture prior to calcinations. The method is both low cost and highly compatible with existing LiFePO4 manufacturing processes.
Applications include carbon coatings for electrode materials used in lithium ion or lithium metal batteries for applications such as power tools and hybrid vehicles.
More info: 510-486-6467, TTD@lbl.gov
