Formation, recovery and characterization of FePO4 synthesized with the use of apoferritin

The introduction of the lithium-ion battery in 1990 by Sony has opened the door to numerous high-energy storage possibilities, including new batteries for portable computers and hybrid electric vehicles. The discovery, in 1996, of LiFePO4 for use as a possible cathode material in Li-ion batteries has enhanced the field with a material providing good capacity and greatly improved thermal stability compared to the commercial cathode materials of the day (1). Further development of a carbon coating and synthesis techniques providing material with particle sizes < 5 μm has allowed the commercial development of this material and its use in high rate applications (2). As the particle size for this material decreases there is an improvement in its performance at high discharge rates (3). In addition,