Li Ion Diffusivity and Rate Performance of the LiFePO4 Modified by Cr Doping

This study reports the root cause of the improved rate performance of $LiFePO_4$ after Cr doping. By measuring the chemical diffusion coefficient of lithium ($D_{Li}$) using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the correlation between the electrochemical performance of $LiFePO_4$ and Li diffusion is acquired. The diffusion constants for $LiFePO_4$/C and $LiFe_{0.97}Cr_{0.03}PO_4$/C measured from CV are $2.48{\times}10^{-15}$ and $4.02{\times}10^{-15}cm^2s^{-1}$, respectively, indicating significant increases in diffusivity after the modification. The difference in diffusivity is also confirmed by EIS and the $D_{Li}$ values obtained as a function of the lithium content in the cathode. These results suggest that Cr doping facilitates Li ion diffusion during the charge-discharge cycles. The low diffusivity of the $LiFePO_4$/C leads to the considerable capacity decline at high discharge rates, while high diffusivity of the $LiFe_{0.97}Cr_{0.03}PO_4$/C maintains the initial capacity, even at high C-rates.