Concentration‐gradient structural LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4/C prepared via co‐precipitation reaction for advanced lithium‐ion batteries

The intrinsically low electronic conductivity and slow ion diffusion kinetics limit further development of olivine LiFexMn1-xPO4 cathode materials. In this paper, with the aim of effectively improving the performance of such materials and alleviating the Jahn-Taller effect of Mn3+ ion, a bimetallic oxalate precursor with gradient distribution of elemental concentration followed with a efficient process is applied to synthesize LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 nanocomposite. The results shown that with certain structural modulation of the precursor, the discharge capacity of synthesized LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 increased from 149 mAh g-1 to 156 mAh g-1 at 0.1C, the cycling capacity was also remarkably improved. the Fe0.5Mn0.5C2O4•2H2O-1 precursor with gradient distribution of elemental concentration effectively restricts the reaction between electrode material and electrolyte, thereby alleviates the dissolution of Mn3+ ion, reduces the decay of capacity and improves the stability of the material.