In-situ-grown hierarchical mesoporous Li3VO4 on GO as a viable anode material for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

A simple and template-free one-pot solvothermal method is developed to grow hierarchical mesoporous Li3VO4 (HM-Li3VO4) on graphene oxide (GO). The growth of nutshell-shaped Li3VO4 on GO with nutshell sizes ranging from 2 micrometres to sub-micrometre levels and a multimodal mesopore hierarchy lead to enhanced electrical and ionic conductivity of HM-Li3VO4-GO as compared to that of HM-Li3VO4 or non-porous solid-state prepared Li3VO4 alone. The composite material shows a charge capacity of 559 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C for the first cycle and a discharge capacity of 414 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C in the second cycle between 0.2 and 3 V. Furthermore, discharge capacity of 374 mAh g−1 achieved at 0.5 C in the fifth cycle is comparable or superior to those reported for other Li3VO4 samples with similar carbon contents. The superior anode performance is attributed to its mesopore hierarchy and attachment with GO.