V2O3–Li3PO4 Composite: A New Type of Cathodic Active Material for Li‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

AbstractA new type of cathodic active material for lithium‐ion batteries based on a composite of Li3PO4 and V2O3 is proposed in this work. Although the V2O3 component is almost inactive in the voltage range of 2–4.5 V versus Li+/Li, the mixture of the two components can deliver a larger reversible specific capacity of ≈190 mA h g−1 in the voltage range of 2–4.5 V at a current density of 15 mA g−1. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy data and cyclic voltammetry data suggest that the vanadium ions are probably oxidized and reduced repetitively upon cycling and that the V3+ ions are partially oxidized to V4+ and even V5+ ions during charging to 4.5 V. This distinctive lithium‐ion uptake and release phenomenon, in which Li3PO4 functions as a lithium source of surface conversion reaction, will introduce a new path for designing unique cathodic active materials for lithium‐ion batteries.