A review of recent developments in the synthesis procedures of lithium iron phosphate powders

Olivine structure LiFePO(4) attracted much attention as a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. The overwhelming advantage of iron-based compounds is that, in addition to being inexpensive and naturally abundant, they are less toxic than Co, Ni, and Mn. Its commercial use has already started and there are several companies that base their business on lithium phosphate technology. Still, there is a need for a manufacturing process that produces electrochemically active LiFePO(4) at a low cost. Therefore the interest in developing new approaches to the synthesis of LiFePO(4) did not fade. Here is presented a review of the synthesis procedures used for the production of LiFePO(4) powders along with the highlights of doped and coated derivatives. Apart from already established conventional routes of preparation, numerous alternative procedures are mentioned. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved