Controllable fabrication of LiMnPO4 nanoplates-radially arranged microspheres with highly exposed (010) facet for enhanced electrochemical performance

LiMnPO4 cathode with the active crystal orientation can contribute to its charge transfer kinetics. However, the development of a facile strategy for the manipulation of its active crystal orientation remains a great challenge. Here, we report a simple solvothermal method to prepare the LiMnPO4 hollow microspheres assembled by the radially aligned nanoplates with the (010)-exposed surface and the thin [010] thickness. The amount of NH4H2PO4 additive is key factor that controls the ac-plane surface area of the assembled subunits of the microspheres. When applied for the cathode, the nanoplates-assembled microspheres exhibit superior rate capability compared to those of the nanoprisms-assembled and the thick plates-assembled microspheres, showing the discharge capacities of ~ 130 mA h g‒1 at 1 C and ~ 81 mA h g‒1 at 10 C. The improved electrochemical performance could be attributed to the advantages of the large (010) surface and the thin [010] thickness of the assembled nanoplates which may facilitate easy access to the surface and rapid migration for lithium ions.