Influence of NiCl2 modification on the electrochemical performance of LiV3O8 cathode for lithium ion batteries

The 5.0, 8.0, and 10.0 wt% NiCl2-modified LiV3O8 materials are successfully prepared and the effects of NiCl2 modification on the electrochemical performance of LiV3O8 cathode have been investigated. The structural and surface morphologic properties of synthesized materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties are investigated by charge-discharge testing and cyclic voltammetry. It is found that 8.0 wt% NiCl2-modified LiV3O8 shows excellent electrochemical properties. The initial discharge capacity of 8.0 wt% NiCl2-modified LiV3O8 is much higher than that of pristine LiV3O8, and can attain 336.7 mAh g(-1) at the current rate of 0.5 C (300 mA g(-1) is assumed to be 1 C rate). Additionally, NiCl2 modification significantly improves the cyclability of LiV3O8. The NiCl2 modification is shown to be able to suppress the capacity fade of LiV3O8 without specific capacity expense by suppressing the characteristic phase transitions during cycling.