Synergistic growth of Li3V2(PO4)3@MWCNTs@C nanocomposites as high-rate cathodes for Li-ion batteries

Composite cathodes composed of Li3V2(PO4)3 and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for high-performance Li-ion batteries were synthesized via a fast sol-gel method, using ascorbic acid as reductive reagent and carbon source, while using MWCNTs as high conductivity modifier. Due to the synergistic effect between functional groups of MWCNTs and reductive functionality of ascorbic acid, MWCNTs were uniformly embedded into Li3V2(PO4)3@C for constructing a unique three-dimensional architecture with excellent electronic and ionic conductivity to achieve superior high rate performance. When tested as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries, the optimal Li3V2(PO4)3@MWCNTs@C composite can deliver 123.5 mAh g−1 of specific capacity at 5 C and maintain a capacity retention of 96.3% after 300 cycles; even after cycled at 15-C rate for 300 times, it still possesses 90.2 mAh g−1 of specific capacity, demonstrating a great promising result for cathode alternative in high-power lithium-ion batteries.