Agitation drying synthesis of porous carbon supported Li3VO4 as advanced anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Li3VO4 has been considered as a promising insertion-type anode for lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity and suitable operating voltage platform. However, this promising anode still suffers from poor electrical conductivity. To address this issue, herein, a porous carbon supported Li3VO4 composites (Li3VO4/C) via a facile agitation-drying method combined with subsequent calcination is reported, in which Ketjen black carbon with high porosity, easy dispersion and excellent conductivity can serve as one of carbon sources. The Li3VO4/C composite prepared at 700 °C with a carbon content of ~ 10% exhibits the optimized structure. The void space of the composite accommodates the volume changes during the charge/discharge process. Meanwhile, the carbon shell serves as a conductive skeleton to provide bi-continuous Li ions and electrons pathways. Electrochemical results reveal that the composite delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 572 mAh·g−1 and maintains a capacity of 442.9 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA·g−1. Even at a high current density of 2 A·g−1, a considerable capacity of 243.8 mAh·g−1 can still be obtained. This work provides a promising approach for the practical application of Li3VO4 as anode material for LIBs.