Effects of Synthesis Methods on Li1+xV3O8 as Cathodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithiated vanadium oxides Li1+xV3O8 as promising cathode materials for secondary lithium batteries are prepared using several methods. The crystalline phase is characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, and the morphology is observed by scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of synthesized samples are systematically investigated by galvanostatic charge and discharge. The maximal initial specific discharge capacity belongs to the material produced by the hydrothermal route, which can attain 338 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1). The aqueous precipitation route produced a sample that exhibits the best cycling behavior among these lithium trivanadate samples, which keeps 226 mAh g(-1) as 92% of its initial capacity after 20 cycles and preserves a high charge-discharge efficiency of around 99%.