Recent advances in the development of LiCoPO4 as high voltage cathode material for li-ion batteries

Polyanion-type materials, like lithium iron phosphate, are one of the great success in the research field of applied electrochemistry. Within this family, LiFePO4 is a now mature material and its properties have been largely optimized thus opening the door to commercial exploitation. Only in recent years the attention of the scientific community is focusing the great advantage of the substitution of iron with manganese, cobalt or nickel in the olivine lattice. In fact the Mn3+/Mn2+, Co3+/Co2+ and Ni3+/Ni2+ couples show increasing redox potentials, all higher than the Fe3+/Fe2+, thus opening the door to large improvements in the energy performances of post- LiFePO4 olivine based Li-ion cells. © 2013 American Chemical Society.