Construction of hierarchical Li3VO4/NC sponge structure for high-performance lithium storage

Abstract

The practical application of Li3VO4 anodes for lithium-ion batteries has long been hindered by the intrinsically poor electronic conductivity and fabrication of stable electrodes. Herein, we design a hierarchical Li3VO4/NC sponge structure (H-LVO/NC SS) for achieving the adhesion of ultrasmall LVO nanoparticles on the N-doped carbon sponge. The structure effectively shortens the charge transport path, increases the effective contact between electrolyte and host material, and promotes reaction kinetics. Based on the structural advantages, the H-LVO/NC SS anode exhibits outstanding lithium storage performance in terms of high reversible specific capacity (710 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1), excellent high-rate property (303 mAh g−1 at 8 A g−1 after 7 periodic rate performance) and superior cycling stability (266 mAh g−1 at the discharge current of 8 A g−1 after 4000 cycles). The pronouncedly improved electrochemical performance of H-LVO/NC SS demonstrates that this structure design strategy could provide a new reference for the new-generation electrode structures and provide in-depth insights for the structural design of other batteries.