Citric Acid-Assisted Inexpensive Semi-Wet Combustion Synthesis and Characterization of Ultrafine LiFe0.95Ti0.05PO4 and LiFePO4 Polycrystalline Materials

Abstract

A solution based economically low cost, eco-friendly and energetically advantageous alternative route for the fabrication of ultrafine LiFe0.95Ti0.05PO4 and LiFePO4, polycrystalline material by semi-wet combustion and sol-gel synthesis is presented. The thermal analysis, crystal structure, morphology and composition of the materials were investigated using different physio-chemical characterizations. TG/DTA, X-ray diffraction, TEM, SEM, EDX, and XPS. The route required auto-combustion of an aqueous metal nitrate solutions in air with the aid of citric acid and is efficient for the fabrication of high quality, LiFe0.95Ti0.05PO4 and LiFePO4 at low temperature, in the combustion residue itself. On a micro-structural studies the grain size was seen in submicron-size that was acquired in a long-established sol-gel combustion and succeeding calcination method. Consequently, the present method reported can yield the ultrafine LiFePO4 and LiFe0.95Ti0.05PO4 at moderate temperature and is look forward to be applicable for other iso-structural polycrystalline materials.