Polyethylene Glycol for LiFePO4/C Composites Preparation: Large or Small Molecular Weight

Olivine LiFePO₄ is challenged by its poor electronic and ionic conductivities for lithium-ion batteries. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been applied for LiFePO₄ preparation by different research groups, but there is no consensus on the influence of the mean molecular weight of PEG on the structure and electrochemical performances of LiFePO₄/C composites. In this work, LiFePO₄/C composites were prepared by using micronsized FePO₄·2H₂O powder as starting material, PEG (mean molecular weight of 200, 400, 4000 or 10000) and citric acid as complex carbon source. The structure and electrochemical performances of LiFePO₄/C composites would be decided considerably by the mean molecular weight of PEG, and the sample using PEG200 exhibited the least inter-particle agglomeration, the smallest charge transfer resistance and the highest discharge capacity. A probable growth mechanism is also proposed based on SEM images and electrochemical results: with the assistance of citric acid, PEG molecule with small molecular weight tends to cover one or only a few micron-sized FePO₄·2H₂O particles, significantly suppress the agglomeration of primary LiFePO₄ particles and thus result in uniform particle-size distribution and carbon coating.