High-rate capability of bamboo-like single crystalline LiFePO 4 nanotubes with an easy access to b-axis 1D channels of olivine structure

Surfactant aided sol–gel method is used to fabricate highly crystalline carbon-coated LiFePO 4 (LFP) in two contrasting microstructural forms: (i) nanoparticulate crystallites (LFP-NP), and (ii). bamboo-like single crystalline nanotubes (LFP-NT) obtained using template-assisted method. LFP-NT exhibit a high specific capacity (∼165 mA h g −1 at 1C-rate) and superior rate capability with reversible capacity of ∼100 mA h g −1 (∼60 mA h g −1 ) at a current rate of 10C (25C) with almost 100% capacity retention after 1000 cycles, whereas, LFP-NP exhibit poor capacity retention even at low C-rates (