Electrochemical performances of LiMnPO4 synthesized from non-stoichiometric Li/Mn ratio

In this paper, the influences of the lithium content in the starting materials on the final performances of as-prepared Li(x)MnPO(4) (x hereafter represents the starting Li content in the synthesis step which does not necessarily mean that Li(x)MnPO(4) is a single phase solid solution in this work.) are systematically investigated. It has been revealed that Mn(2)P(2)O(7) is the main impurity when Li < 1.0 while Li(3)PO(4) begins to form once x > 1.0. The interactions between Mn(2)P(2)O(7) or Li(3)PO(4) impurities and LiMnPO(4) are studied in terms of the structural, electrochemical, and magnetic properties. At a slow rate of C/50, the reversible capacity of both Li(0.5)MnPO(4) and Li(0.8)MnPO(4) increases with cycling. This indicates a gradual activation of more sites to accommodate a reversible diffusion of Li(+) ions that may be related to the interaction between Mn(2)P(2)O(7) and LiMnPO(4) nanoparticles. Among all of the different compositions, Li(1.1)MnPO(4) exhibits the most stable cycling ability probably because of the existence of a trace amount of Li(3)PO(4) impurity that functions as a solid-state electrolyte on the surface. The magnetic properties and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of the MnPO(4)·H(2)O precursor, pure and carbon-coated Li(x)MnPO(4) are also investigated to identify the key steps involved in preparing a high-performance LiMnPO(4).