In situ X-ray absorption fine structure studies of amorphous and crystalline polyoxovanadate cluster cathodes for lithium batteries

Amorphous and crystalline MetfV10 electrodes for lithium ion batteries were prepared by mixing MetfV10 with different binders: polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The amorphous MetfV10 cathode demonstrates a higher specific capacity than the crystalline cathode. The reaction mechanism was studied using in situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and impedance measurements. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) results exhibited a 10-electron reduction per the formula of MetfV10 during discharge, resulting in a large capacity. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses suggested a slight expansion in the molecular size of MetfV10. The impedance measurements reveal that an increase of discharge capacities for the amorphous cathode is due to lower resistance than in the crystalline cathode. This study presents a rational selection of amorphous or crystalline cathode materials for high power and high energy density lithium batteries.