Calcium Doping Effects on the Electrochemical Properties of LiFePO<sub>4</sub>/C Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

This Olivine LiFe1-xCaxPO4/C composites (x=0 - 0.014) were synthesized by a solid-state method using sebasic acid as a carbon source. The structure and electrochemical properties of the LiFe1-xCaxPO4/C compounds were studied. The X-ray diffractometer (XRD) results indicated that Ca2+ doping did not affect the structure of the samples, but the unit cell volume of doped sample are slightly increased. Electrochemical measurements showed that the LiFe0.99Ca0.01PO4/C composite delivered a discharge capacity of 149 mAh g-1 at a 0.2 C-rate between 4.0 and 2.8 V, probably due to the significant improvement of electronic conductivity and Li+ ion diffusion. Besides, the cell can sustain a 20 C-rate, and this rate capability is equivalent to charge or discharge in 3 min.