Facile synthesis of 3D urchin-like V6O13 microflowers as cathode materials for high-capacity and high-rate lithium-ion batteries

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• Urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. • Urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers exhibit a significant electrochemical performance in high-capacity and high-rate. • The large surface area accelerates electrolyte penetration and Li-ion diffusion. • Urchin-like microflowers offer a large surface area and robust structure. The development of three-dimensional nanomaterials with high specific surface area and stable structure is an important way to achieve excellent electrochemical performance. Here, urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers are prepared through facile and controllable ion concentration regulation. In addition, by controlling concentration of oxalic acid, V 6 O 13 nanobelts and V 6 O 13 flowers are synthesized. Among them, urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers electrode shows better electrochemical performance. Urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers electrode exhibits an initial capacity of 375.7 mAh/g at 100 mA/g, higher than nanobelt V 6 O 13 and V 6 O 13 flowers electrodes with capacity of 348.2 and 334.2 mAh/g. Noted that urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers electrode exhibits a capacity retention of 72.3 % after 50 cycles at 100 mA/g, while the capacity retention rates of V 6 O 13 nanobelts and V 6 O 13 flowers electrodes are 55.3 % and 67.5 %, respectively. The discharge capacity of urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers electrode could maintain up to 138.8 mAh/g with a capacity retention of about 80.8 % after 100 cycles at 2000 mA/g, displaying a good cycling stability. The as-synthesized urchin-like V 6 O 13 microflowers possess the multiple advantageous structural features, including large surface area, the nanosized building blocks and robust structure, which make it exhibits the excellent electrochemical performance in terms of large capacity and high rate as the cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries.