Carbon-coated BiVO4 prepared by molten salt method combined with ball milling for high-performance lithium-ion battery anode

Because of its high theoretical capacity, BiVO4 is expected to be employed in lithium-ion battery anodes. Herein, carbon-coated BiVO4 (BiVO4@C) nano-composite was prepared through molten salt method accompanied by high-energy planetary milling and investigated as an anode material for Li-ion batteries. X-ray diffraction, scan electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscope were used to study the crystallization and microstructure of the samples. Moreover, compared with pure BiVO4, the BiVO4@C electrode shows competitive electrochemical performance with a reversible capacity of 700 mAh g(-1) over 200 cycles at 100 mA g(-1). It also exhibits stable long cycle life with delithiation capacity of 531 mAh g(-1) after 500 cycles at 200 mA g(-1) and 340 mAh g(-1) after 1200 cycles at 500 mA g(-1). The molten salt method combined with ball milling can be used as a new method to synthesize BiVO4@C anode material for lithium-ion batteries.