LiFePO4

Lithium iron phosphate · LFP

Lithium iron phosphate is a stable, safe, and widely utilized cathode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Crystal structure of LiFePO4
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Lithium iron phosphate

Lithium iron phosphate is a prominent olivine phosphate cathode material characterized by its exceptional thermodynamic stability. As a wide-band-gap insulator, it relies on structural design to facilitate efficient ion transport during electrochemical cycling, making it a cornerstone of modern energy storage technology. Its ability to maintain structural integrity over many charge-discharge cycles has solidified its position as a preferred choice for large-scale battery applications where safety and cycle life are paramount. The material is highly data-rich, with extensive structural studies documenting its behavior across various synthesis conditions.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Lithium iron phosphate, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

2.60–3.92 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

135
3 databases, 27 space groups
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting LiFePO4.

Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Uses

Applications

Where Lithium iron phosphate is used.

Electric vehicle batteriesStationary energy storage systemsPower toolsSolar energy storage
Intellectual Property

Patent Landscape

9 patents reference LiFePO4 or close compositional variants.

PatentTitleAssigneeGranted
9199850Method of fabricating LiFePO4 cathode electroactive material by recycling, and LiFePO4 cathode electroactive m
11799084Method for making LiFePO4 by hydrothermal method
9209461Process for the preparation of LiFePO4-carbon composites
9139429High performance cathode material LiFePO4, its precursors and methods of making thereof
9672951Method for preparing graphene-based LiFePO4/C composite material
9368794LiFePO4 flakes for Li-ion battery and method for manufacturing the same
11476462LiFePO4 precursor for manufacturing electrode material of Li-ion battery and method for manufacturing the same
9484574Hydrothermal process for the production of LiFePO4 powder
9954227Crystalline nanometric LiFePO4
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Lithium iron phosphate, answered from cross-validated data.

What is LiFePO4?

Lithium iron phosphate is a stable, safe, and widely utilized cathode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

More questions
What is LiFePO4 used for?
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is used in electric vehicle batteries, stationary energy storage systems, power tools, and solar energy storage.
What is the band gap of LiFePO4?
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.60–3.92 eV across 135 reported structures.
Is LiFePO4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 3.92 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is LiFePO4 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of LiFePO4 are known?
135 structures of LiFePO4 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 27 distinct space groups.
How is LiFePO4 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for LiFePO4 include sol gel (10 procedures documented).
What elements does LiFePO4 contain?
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) contains Fe, Li, O, and P (4 elements).
Where does the data for LiFePO4 come from?
LiFePO4 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Reading

Related Research

Comparison

How It Compares

Within the olivine phosphate cathodes class.

Within the family of olivine phosphate cathodes, LiFePO4 stands out as the most commercially mature and reliable option compared to siblings like LiMnPO4 or LiCoPO4. While other members of the class often struggle with lower conductivity or structural instability during cycling, LiFePO4 offers a superior balance of safety and cost-effectiveness, making it the industry standard for stationary storage and electric vehicle power systems.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Olivine Phosphate Cathodes in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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