Controllable fabrication of LiFePO₄ cathode materials with multiple morphologies for lithium ion batteries

Pure LiFePO₄ with multiple morphologies, such as nanoplate, nanocubes, and self-assembled rose-like structures, were synthesis via hydrothermal process employing surfactant CTAB as soft-template. The addition of surfactant is the key factor for controlling the crystal growth of the particles. Among these products, LiFePO₄ nanoplates with preferential direction of b-axis delivers the highest capacity at 0.1C, and the most stable cycle performance, indicating a great advantage of shape-control chemistry in nanomaterials preparation, and showing an enormous potential as cathode materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries.