Fabricating oxygen vacancy-rich Li3VO4 nanoplates to improve electrochemical performance

Abstract

Li3VO4 is one of the most potential anode materials for high-performance lithium ions batteries due to its suitable voltage platform and considerable theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, unsatisfactory electronic conductivity is hindering its further practical application. In this study, we report the synthesis of oxygen vacancy-rich Li3VO4 nanoplates via adjusting surface tension of reaction solution in the hydrothermal process. Decreasing the surface tension of reaction solution leads to a morphology change of Li3VO4 from large block to nanoplate and then nanoparticles gradually, accompanied by the generation of oxygen vacancies. The optimal Li3VO4 sample, consisting of two-dimensional nanoplates rich in oxygen vacancies, delivers a discharge specific capacity of 458 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles. Even at a high current density of 1 A g−1, its capacity still reaches 235 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles, exhibiting outstanding cycling stability. The rich oxygen vacancies and two-dimensional nanoplate morphology synergistically accelerate lithium ions conduction and enhance the electrochemical performance of Li3VO4. The strategy reported in this paper can be readily extended to a variety of alkali metal vanadium oxides, possibly expanding the exploration of other metal oxides in the two dimensions.