C-Doped LiVO3 Honeycombs Derived from the Biomass Template Strategy for Superior Lithium Storage

LiVO3 as a prospective anode for lithium-ion batteries has drawn considerable focus based on its superior ion transfer capability and relatively elevated specific capacity. Nevertheless, the inherent low electrical conductivity and sluggish reaction kinetics hindered its commercial application. Herein, C-doped LiVO3 honeycombs (C-doped LiVO3 HCs) are designed via introducing low-cost and scalable biomass carbon as a template, and the influence of the structure on the lithium storage property is systematically studied. The prepared C-doped LiVO3 HC electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 743.7 mA h g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 after 400 cycles and superior high-rate performance with an average discharge capacity of 420.8 mA h g-1 even at 5.0 A g-1. The remarkable comprehensive electrochemical performance is attributed to the high electrical conductivity caused by carbon doping and rapid ion transport triggered by the honeycomb structure. This work may offer a rational design on both the hierarchical structure and doping engineering of future battery electrodes.

In/Ce Co-doped Li3VO4 and Nitrogen-modified Carbon Nanofiber Composites as Advanced Anode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

Li₃VO₄ (LVO) is considered as a novel alternative anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high capacity and good safety. However, the inferior electronic conductivity impedes its further application. Here, nanofibers (nLICVO/NC) with In/Ce co-doped Li₃VO₄ strengthened by nitrogen-modified carbon are prepared. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that In/Ce co-doping can substantially reduce the LVO band gap and achieve orders of magnitude increase (from 2.79 × 10^-4 to 1.38 × 10^-2 S cm^-1) in the electronic conductivity of LVO. Moreover, the carbon-based nanofibers incorporated with 5LICVO nanoparticles can not only buffer the structural strain but also form a good framework for electron transport. This 5LICVO/NC material delivers high reversible capacities of 386.3 and 277.9 mA h g^-1 at 0.1 and 5 A g^-1, respectively. Furthermore, high discharge capacities of 335 and 259.5 mA h g^-1 can be retained after 1200 and 4000 cycles at 0.5 and 1.6 A g^-1, respectively (with the corresponding capacity retention of 98.4 and 78.7%, respectively). When the 5LICVO/NC anode assembles with commercial LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ (NCM111) into a full cell, a high discharge capacity of 191.9 mA h g^-1 can be retained after 600 cycles at 1 A g^-1, implying an inspiring potential for practical application in high-efficiency LIBs.

In situ interfacial architecture of lithium vanadate-based cathode for printable lithium batteries

Most Li₃VO₄ anodes are obtained by pre-architecture methods in which Li₃VO₄ anode materials are prepared with more than six key processes including high-temperature annealing and long preparation time. Herein, we propose an in situ post-architecture strategy including Li₃VO₄-precursor solution (ink) preparation and then annealing at 250°C. The integrated Li₃VO₄ based electrode not only possesses good electrical conductivity and porous microstructure but also has superior stability because of Cu anchoring and inclusion by in situ catalysis. The integrated electrode demonstrates a high reversible capacity (865 mA h g^-1 at 0.2 A g^-1) and good cyclability (100% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 1 A g^-1). More importantly, the post-architecture electrode has a high energy density of 773.8 Wh kg^-1, much higher than reported Li₃VO₄-based materials, as well as most cathodes. Therefore, the electrode could be used to the printable cathode of low-voltage high-energy-density lithium batteries.

Sub-micro droplet reactors for green synthesis of Li3VO4 anode materials in lithium ion batteries

The conventional solid-state reaction suffers from low diffusivity, high energy consumption, and uncontrolled morphology. These limitations are competed by the presence of water in solution route reaction. Herein, based on concept of combining above methods, we report a facile solid-state reaction conducted in water vapor at low temperature along with calcium doping for modifying lithium vanadate as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The optimized material, delivers a superior specific capacity of 543.1, 477.1, and 337.2 mAh g-1 after 200 and 1000 cycles at current densities of 100, 1000 and 4000 mA g-1, respectively, which is attributed to the contribution of pseudocapacitance. In this work, we also use experimental and theoretical calculation to demonstrate that the enhancement of doped lithium vanadate is attributed to particles confinement of droplets in water vapor along with the surface and structure variation of calcium doping effect.

Boosting the Deep Discharging/Charging Lithium Storage Performances of Li3VO4 through Double-Carbon Decoration

With high theoretical capacity, good ionic conductivity, and suitable working plateaus, Li₃VO₄ has emerged as an eye-catching intercalation anode material for lithium storage. However, Li₃VO₄ suffers from poor electrical conductivity and 20% volume variation under deep discharging/charging conditions. Herein, we present a "double-carbon decoration" strategy to tackle both issues. Deflated balloon-like Li₃VO₄/C/reduced graphene oxide (LVO/C/rGO) microspheres with continuous electron transport pathways and sufficient free space for volume change accommodation are fabricated through a facile spray-drying method. Under deep discharging/charging conditions (0.02-3.0 V), LVO/C/rGO achieves a high intercalation capacity of 591 mA h g^-1. With high capacity and outstanding stability, LVO/C/rGO outperforms other intercalation anode materials (such as graphite, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂, and TiO₂). In situ X-ray diffraction measurement reveals that the lithium storage is realized through both solid-solution reaction and two-phase reaction mechanisms. A LVO/C/rGO//LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂ lithium-ion full cell is also assembled. In such full cell, LVO/C/rGO also demonstrates high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability. The above results manifest that the LVO/C/rGO anode has the potential to be applied in the next-generation high-performance lithium-ion batteries.