A Novel Composite Li3V2(PO4)3∥Li2NaV2(PO4)3/C as Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries
A novel composite cathode for lithium ion batteries, Li3V2(PO4)3‖Li2NaV2(PO4)3/C, was synthesized by a sol-gel method. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was used as a surfactant while polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) was the carbon source. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman results showed that the components of this composite are monoclinic Li3V2(PO4)3, rhombohedral Li2NaV2(PO4)3 and an amorphous carbon-coating. Four potential plateaus occur at the charge/discharge curves and the longest plateau is observed at a potential of 3.8/3.7 V. Therefore, the alkali metal ion intercalation and deintercalation mostly occur at this potential, which is different to that observed for Li3V2(PO4)3. In addition to the stable working potential, this composite also possesses an outstanding electrochemical performance. The sample containing 8.32 % carbon content delivers a capacity of 119 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C rate and 87 mAh g−1 at 12 C. After 50 charge/discharge cycles at 1 C, a coulombic efficiency of 98.4 % is maintained. This enhancement of the electrochemical performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect between monoclinic Li3V2(PO4)3 and rhombohedral Li2NaV2(PO4)3.