Comparative studies on C-coated and uncoated LiFePO4 cycling at various rates and temperatures using synchrotron based in situ X-ray diffraction

The structural changes of LiFePO{sub 4} and C-coated LiFePO{sub 4} during charging at various C-rates and temperatures are investigated using synchrotron based in situ X-ray diffraction technique. The XRD patterns collected during cycling show the structural evidence of the positive effects of carbon coating on LiFePO{sub 4} for the electrochemical performance improvements at different temperatures, especially at low temperatures. At -10 C, the C-coated LiFePO{sub 4} shows comparable capacities with the sample cycled at room temperature when cycled at C/5 rate with a slight shift of the plateau to a higher voltage during charging. The in situ XRD patterns collected simultaneously show a complete phase transformation from triphylite to heterosite. At -20 C, the C-coated LiFePO{sub 4} delivers 55.6% of its theoretical capacities at C/5 rate. However, the plateau in the charging curve becomes sloppy and shifts to a higher voltage. The in situ XRD patterns show that the phase transformation from triphylite to heterosite is not completed when charged to 4.5 V due to the larger polarization when charged at -20 C.