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Lithium-ion batteries have become a crucial tool in countering global fossil fuel reliance; when paired with electric motors, they provide an alternative to petroleum-based energy storage for internal combustion engines. Typical cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries present a unique set of challenges. Some of the electrochemical materials that have a relatively high performance also have serious impacts on the environment and human health. 1 Other materials that lack these specific drawbacks, such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP), face other issues. For example, LFP suffers from a relatively low electrical conductivity and a relatively slow lithium-ion diffusion, both of which affect the general electrochemical performance of this material. These weaknesses can be addressed using coatings applied to LFP nanoparticles. Carbon coatings have already been shown to improve the performance of LFP nanoparticles, but materials with higher ionic conductivities have remained relatively undeveloped. 2 By synthesizing a composite coating of both carbon and lithium niobate, further improvements to LFP nanoparticles were sought to enable a wider range of applications for this cathode material. In this work, lithium niobate coatings on carbon coated LFP nanoparticles were synthesized using a low temperature solvothermal method. Lithium niobate coatings have been shown to improve the specific capacity, rate capability, and durability of other cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. 3 Half-cells were fabricated to examine the effect of adding a lithium niobate coating to the carbon coated LFP cathode materials. Electrochemical testing techniques such as galvanostatic cycling and cyclic voltammetry were used to compare the properties and performance of the composite coated LFP relative to the carbon coated LFP. The composite coatings were also characterized using transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This coating method has resulted in the successful synthesis of lithium niobate coatings on carbon coated LFP nanoparticles with an observed improvement in durability. Goodenough, J. B.; Kim, Y. Challenges for Rechargeable Li Batteries. Mater. 2010 , 22 (3), 587–603. Wang, J.; Sun, X. Understanding and Recent Development of Carbon Coating on LiFePO 4 Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries. Energy Environ. Sci. 2012 , 5 (1), 5163–5185. Kim, J. H.; Kim, H.; Choi, W.; Park, M.-S. Bifunctional Surface Coating of LiNbO 3 on High-Ni Layered Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020 , 12 (31), 35098–35104.
Gee et al. (Fri,) studied this question.