The electronic structures of FePO4 and LiMPO4, where M5Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, are studied within the framework of density-functional theory. These materials have interesting magnetic properties and have promising technological interest as cathode materials in rechargeable batteries. A comparison of results for various spin configurations suggests that the ferromagnetic configuration, while not see...

High energy and high power electrochemical energy storage devices rely on different fundamental working principles--bulk vs. surface ion diffusion and electron conduction. Meeting both characteristics within a single or a pair of materials has been under intense investigations yet, severely hindered by intrinsic materials limitations. Here, we provide a solution to this issue and present an app...

A novel galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and a novel potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT) for phase-transformation electrodes were developed by integrating mixed control phasetransformation theory with traditional GITT and PITT methods. The contribution of the strain accommodation energy to the thermodynamic driving force for phase transformation was asses...

An innovative and environmentally friendly battery chemistry is proposed for high power applications. A carbon-coated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle-based anode and a LiFePO4-multiwalled carbon nanotube-based cathode, both aqueous processed with Na-carboxymethyl cellulose, are combined, for the first time, in a Li-ion full cell with exceptional electrochemical performance. Such novel battery shows remark...

Despite the great achievement in understanding the materials properties and powder engineering of LiFePO4, the chemical bonding at the surface has been almost ignored. Herein, we demonstrate that the undercoordinated Fe2+/Fe3+ redox couple at the surface gives a high barrier for charge transfer, but it can be stabilized by nitrogen or sulfur adsorption. The surface modification improves greatly...

Rational design and construction of cathode materials with high ion transport coefficient electrical conductivity is great importance for improving the reaction kinetics Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we develop three-dimensional (3D) LiFePO4@reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanofibers (LiFePO4@rGO/CNFs) to serve as flexible cathodes LIBs. Through electrospinning technique combined subsequent py...

LiFePO4 materials synthesized using FePO4(H2O)2 and Li2CO3 blend were optimized in view of their use as positive electrodes in Li-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles. A strict control of the structural properties was made by the combination of X-ray diffraction, FT-infrared spectroscopy and magnetometry. The impact of the ferromagnetic clusters (γ-Fe2O3 or Fe2P) on the electrochemical re...

Electric vehicles using lithium-ion battery pack(s) for propulsion have recently attracted a great deal of interest. The large-scale practical application of battery electric vehicles may not be realized unless lithium-ion batteries with self-charging suppliers will be developed. Solar cells offer an attractive option for directly photo-charging lithium-ion batteries. Here we demonstrate the us...