Morphology effects on LiMn0.6Fe0.4PO4 cathode for lithium-ion batteries with high energy density

Abstract

Controlling particle morphology is critical for optimizing the performance of LiMn_xFe_1-xPO₄ (LMFP) cathode materials. Through a comparative analysis of spray-dried (LMFP-D) and sol-gel synthesized (LMFP-S) samples, we demonstrate that porous LMFP-D microspheres, assembled from nanoscale primary particles, significantly enhance liquid electrolyte infiltration and Li⁺ diffusion kinetics. Crucially, the homogeneous distribution of Mn/Fe in LMFP-D could suppress the Jahn-Teller distortion and dissolution of Mn. These synergistic effects yield exceptional cycling stability, achieving a high initial capacity of 136.4 mAh g⁻¹ with a retention of 91.9 % after 400 cycles at 2C and 132.1 mAh g⁻¹ with a retention of 90.6 % after 600 cycles at 5C. This work demonstrates spray drying as a scalable strategy for engineering high-performance LMFP cathodes for lithium-ion batteries with high energy density.