Controllable fabrication of LiMnPO4 microspheres assembled by radially arranged nanoplates with highly exposed (010) facets for an enhanced electrochemical performance

Abstract

An LiMnPO₄ cathode with an active crystal orientation can contribute towards its charge transfer kinetics. However, the development of a facile strategy for the manipulation of its active crystal orientation remains a great challenge. Here, we reported a simple solvothermal method to prepare LiMnPO₄ hollow microspheres assembled by radially aligned nanoplates with the (010)-exposed surface and thin [010] thickness. The amount of the NH₄H₂PO₄ additive was the key factor that controlled the ac-plane surface area of the assembled subunits of the microspheres. When applied for the cathode, the nanoplate-assembled microspheres exhibited superior rate capability compared to those of the nanoprism-assembled and thick plate-assembled microspheres, showing the discharge capacities of ∼130 mA h g⁻¹ at 1 C and ∼81 mA h g⁻¹ at 10 C. The improved electrochemical performance could be attributed to the advantages of the large (010) surface and the thin [010] thickness of the assembled nanoplates, which may facilitate easy access to the surface and rapid migration of lithium ions.