Nonaqueous synthesis of nano-sized LiMnPO₄@C as a cathode material for high performance lithium ion batteries

Graphical abstract: A hierarchical nano-sized and uniform carbon coated LiMnPO₄@C was fabricated via an oleylamine-mediated method, which showed excellent electrochemical performance. - Abstract: A nano-sized LiMnPO₄@C core@shell structure was prepared through a facile two-step method. Oleylamine was introduced in the synthesis process using as both solvent and carbon source. The LiMnPO₄@C structure has a particle size smaller than 40 nm with uniform 2–3 nm carbon coating layers, which interweave to form a secondary micrometer-sized mesoporous structure. The as-prepared LiMnPO₄@C showed a high capacity of 168 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C and 105 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 C applied as a cathode electrode for lithium ion batteries. The thin layer carbon coating not only increases LiMnPO₄ in electronic and ionic conductivity, but also enhances its cycling ability by stabilizing the solid electrolyte interface.