Facile microemulsion synthesis of mesoporous ZnMn2O4 submicrocubes as high-rate and long-life anodes for lithium ion batteries

In this work, monodispersed mesoporous ZnMn₂O₄ submicrocubes constructed of interconnected nanoparticles have been fabricated by pyrolysis of the Zn_1/3Mn_2/3CO₃ precursor obtained through a precipitation reaction in the water–n-pentanol–CTAB–n-hexane microemulsion. The effects of microemulsion composition on the morphology and size of Zn_1/3Mn_2/3CO₃ are investigated. The uniform ZnMn₂O₄ cubes obtained in the optimized microemulsion system have an average edge length of ca. 250?nm, consisting of primary nanoparticles approximately 20–40?nm in size. When served as anode for lithium ion batteries, the mesoporous ZnMn₂O₄ maintains a large discharge capacity of 1138?mA?h?g^?1 at 0.5?A?g^?1 after 600 cycles as well as a stable discharge capacity of 597?mA?h?g^?1 at 6?A?g^?1 after 1000 cycles. The remarkable high-rate and long-cycle performances could be attributed to the small size of secondary/primary particles and robust 3D mesoporous structure, which are favorable for the improvement of electrochemical kinetics and the structural integrity of electrode during cycling. Additionally, this facile synthetic technique may be explored to prepare other submicron-sized metal oxides materials.     

MnCo2O4 nanospheres for improved lithium storage performance

Mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ nanospheres with an average diameter of approximately 480?nm have been synthesized by a polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted solvothermal method followed by thermal annealing. MnCo₂O₄ nanospheres consist of many nanoparticles having sizes in range of 20–50?nm, the specific area of the sample being 24.4?m² g^?1. When used as the anode material for lithium ion batteries, the mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ nanospheres show not only an excellent cycling stability, but also an outstanding rate capability. More specially, the discharge capacities of 749.1 and 629.6?mA?h?g^?1 can be retained at current densities of 200 and 400?mA?g^?1 after 50 cycles, respectively. In addition, the average discharge capacities of 1013.8, 827.1, 770.6, 733.3, 697.3, 651.4 and 522.4?mA?h?g^?1 could be observed at current densities of 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 and 2000?mA?g^?1, respectively. The improved cycling stability and rate capability can be ascribed to two unique structural features of mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ nanospheres: namely, the mesoporous nature of electrode materials which can help to reduce the volume variation during repeated lithiation/delithiation processes, and the nanostructure which can provide a shortened Li⁺ transmission path. The current synthesis approach can be easily spread to prepare other binary metal oxides, including Co-free anode materials.     

Synthesis of dandelion-like V2O3/C composite with bicontinuous 3D hierarchical structures as an anode for high performance lithium ion batteries

The dandelion-like V₂O₃/C composite was synthesized by a simple and facile template-free solvothermal method followed by a suitable thermal treatment. The dandelion-like V₂O₃/C composite is constructed by bicontinuous 3D hierarchical structures, which are formed by interconnected nanoparticles and interconnected pores, respectively. Moreover, the surface of interconnected nanoparticles is uniformly coated with an ultrathin carbon layer. Upon evaluation as an anode material for LIBs, the as-synthesized product shows superior electrochemical performance. Under the current density of 0.1?A?g^?1, the specific discharge capacity of V₂O₃/C composite is 737?mA?h?g^?1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 2?A?g^?1, the sample exhibits a discharge capacity of 315?mA?h?g^?1 which is 94% of the first-cycle discharge capacity. This excellent electrochemical performance can be ascribed to its unique hierarchical structure with 3D interconnected nanopores and uniform carbon coating.     

Effect of calcination temperature on morphology and electrochemical performance of PbLi2Ti6O14

As a promising anode material, PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄ has attracted the attention of many researchers. In this work, a series of PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄ are prepared by solid state method at five different calcination temperatures and used as anode materials in lithium ion batteries. Through a series of tests, the results show that the phase purity, morphology and electrochemical performance of PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄ can be seriously influenced by calcination temperature. When the calcination temperature is 900?°C, the phase-pure PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄ can be obtained with relatively small particle size, excellent cycle performance and outstanding lithium ion diffusion behavior. It provides an initial charge capacity of 151.3?mA?h?g^?1 at 100?mA?g^?1. After 100 cycles, it shows a reversible capacity of 142.0?mA?h?g^?1 with superior capacity retention of 93.85%. In contrast, PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄ formed at 800?°C displays an unsatisfactory performance due to the presence of impurity, even though it has the smallest particle size and the largest lithium ion diffusion coefficient among the five samples. The reversible capacity is only 82.6?mA?h?g^?1 after 100 cycles with capacity retention of 53.9%. In order to further study the lithium ion diffusion behavior of PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄, the in-situ X-ray diffraction technique is also implemented. It is found that during the lithiation/delithiation process, the stable framework can effectively inhibit the volume change and ensures the excellent electrochemical performance of PbLi₂Ti₆O₁₄.     

Wrapping mesoporous Fe2O3 nanoparticles by reduced graphene oxide: Enhancement of cycling stability and capacity of lithium ion batteries by mesoscopic engineering

The fast capacity fading at high current density turns out to be one of the key challenges limiting the broad applications of transition metal oxide-based electrodes. Herein, Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with well-defined mesopores wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (RGO) have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal strategy. The as-prepared nanocomposites were systematically characterized. XPS and Raman analyses confirm the co-existence of Fe₂O₃ and RGO in the nanocomposite system. SEM and TEM reveal that the mesoporous Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles have a size of 20–60?nm and are uniformly dispersed and tightly wrapped by RGO. When used as the anode in lithium ion batteries, the mesoporous-Fe₂O₃/RGO electrode exhibits excellent cycling stability (1098?mA?h?g^?1 after 500 cycles at 1?A?g^?1) and superior rate capability (574?mA?h?g^?1 at 5?A?g^?1). The excellent electrochemical performance can be mainly ascribed to the unique mesoscopic architecture that serves as a cushion to alleviate volume change of Fe₂O₃ during discharge/charge cycles, provides a sustainably large contact area with the electrolyte, and improves electrical conductivity. This unique nanocomposite electrode holds great potential as an anode material for advanced lithium ion batteries.     

Carbon-coated Bi5Nb3O15 as anode material in rechargeable batteries for enhanced lithium storage

Bismuth can alloy with lithium to generate Li₃Bi with the volumetric capacity of about 3765 mAh cm^?3 (386 mAh g^?1), rendering bismuth-based materials as attractive alloying-type electrode materials for rechargeable batteries. In this work, bismuth-based material Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ @C is fabricated as anode material through a traditional solid-state reaction with glucose as carbon source. Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ @C composite is well dispersed, with small particle size of 0.5–2.0?µm. The electrochemical performance of Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ @C is reinforced by carbon-coated layer as desired. The Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ @C exhibits a high specific capacity of 338.56 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 100?mA?g^?1. And it also presents an excellent cycling stability with a capacity of 212.06 mAh g^?1 over 100 cycles at 100?mA?g^?1. As a comparison, bulk Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ without carbon-coating only remains 319.62 mAh g^?1 at 100?mA?g^?1, revealing poor cycle and rate performances. Furthermore, in-situ X-ray diffraction experiments investigate the alloying/dealloying behavior of Bi₅Nb₃O₁₅ @C. These insights will benefit the discovery of novel anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.     

Ultrathin CeO2 coating for improved cycling and rate performance of Ni-rich layered LiNi0.7Co0.2Mn0.1O2 cathode materials

In this study, we have successfully coated the CeO₂ nanoparticles (CeONPs) layer onto the surface of the Ni-rich layered LiNi_0.7Co_0.2Mn_0.1O₂ cathode materials by a wet chemical method, which can effectively improve the structural stability of electrode. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to determine the structure, morphology, elemental composition and electronic state of pristine and surface modified LiNi_0.7Co_0.2Mn_0.1O₂. The electrochemical testing indicates that the 0.3?mol% CeO₂-coated LiNi_0.7Co_0.2Mn_0.1O₂ demonstrates excellent cycling capability and rate performance, the discharge specific capacity is 161.7?mA?h?g^?1 with the capacity retention of 86.42% after 100 cycles at a current rate of 0.5?C, compared to 135.7?mA?h?g^?1 and 70.64% for bare LiNi_0.7Co_0.2Mn_0.1O₂, respectively. Even at 5?C, the discharge specific capacity is still up to 137.1?mA?h?g^?1 with the capacity retention of 69.0%, while the NCM only delivers 95.5?mA?h?g^?1 with the capacity retention of 46.6%. The outstanding electrochemical performance is assigned to the excellent oxidation capacity of CeO₂ which can oxidize Ni²⁺ to Ni³⁺ and Mn³⁺ to Mn⁴⁺ with the result that suppress the occurrence of Li⁺/Ni²⁺ mixing and phase transmission. Furthermore, CeO₂ coating layer can protect the structure to avoid the occurrence of side reaction. The CeO₂-coated composite with enhanced structural stability, cycling capability and rate performance is a promising cathode material candidate for lithium-ion battery.     

Ti2Nb10O29@C hollow submicron ribbons for superior lithium storage

Titanium niobate prepared by traditional techniques has the shortcomings of low ion diffusion coefficient as well as poor electrical conductivity, which drastically reduce its applicability. In this work, we prepare carbon coated Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ hollow submicron ribbons (Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉@C HSR) using a simple electrospinning procedure. As anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), it delivers a high charge capacity of 259.7 mAh g^?1 at 1 C with low capacity loss of 0.013% in long-term cycles. Increased the current density to 5 C, Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉@C HSR can maintain a reversible capacity of 189.9 mAh g^?1, indicating its good rate performance. Additionally, this work uses in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) to provide an explanation for the lithium storage process in Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉@C HSR, demonstrating the high reversibility during charge/discharge cycles. Therefore, Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉@C HSR has outstanding cycle adaptability and structural reversibility to be a promising anode for LIBs.     

Fabrication and characterization of monodispersed Mn0.8Ni0.2Co2O4 mesoporous microspheres for supercapacitor application

The monodispersed Ni doped MnCo₂O₄ mesoporous microspheres were synthesized through a simple ammonium bicarbonate-assisted solvothermal route. The spinel-type crystal structure with a lattice parameter of 8.199?Å for Mn_0.8Ni_0.2Co₂O₄ composition was obtained by using X-ray diffraction analysis. The Brunauer?Emmett?Teller (BET) specific surface area of the sample was found to be 75.78?m² g^?1 with an average pore diameter of 9.88?nm. Electron microscopy studies revealed that the stable mesoporous microspheres are constituted by well-connected aggregates of nanoparticles. The influence of Ni doping on the pseudo-capacitance of MnCo₂O₄ electrode was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry in 6?M KOH electrolyte. We found that the spinel-type Mn_0.8Ni_0.2Co₂O₄ mesoporous microspheres exhibit specific capacitances of 1822 F g^?1 at a scan rate of 5?mV/s. Furthermore, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis revealed the low resistance and good electrochemical stability of the sample.     

Novel high-capacity hybrid layered oxides NaxLi1.5-xNi0.167Co0.167Mn0.67O2 as promising cathode materials for rechargeable sodium ion batteries

Relatively low capacity is a technological bottleneck of the development of sodium ion batteries. Herein, we present a series of hybrid layered cathode materials Na_xLi_1.5-xNi_0.167Co_0.167Mn_0.67O₂ (x?=?0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1) with composite crystalline structures, which are prepared by co-precipitation method. The combined analysis of XRD, SEM and TEM reveals that the materials are composed of P2 structure, α-NaFeO₂ structure and small amount of Li₂MnO₃. Among the as-prepared materials, Na_0.6Li_0.9Ni_0.167Co_0.167Mn_0.67O₂ delivers an initial reversible capacity of 222?mA?h?g^?1 at 20?mA?g^?1. Even at 100?mA?g^?1, it shows a remarkable discharge capacity of 125?mA?h?g^?1 in the first cycle and remains 60?mA?h?g^?1 after 300 cycles. Such high capacity is achieved by the specific composite structure and sodium ions are proved to be able to intercalate/deintercalate in Li_1.5Ni_0.167Co_0.167Mn_0.67O₂ with α-NaFeO₂ structure. The Ex-situ XRD results of Na_0.6Li_0.9Ni_0.167Co_0.167Mn_0.67O₂ in the first cycle show that the P2 structure is well maintained along with irreversible phase transition of α-NaFeO₂ structure, which is responsible for the long-term capacity fading. Owing to the high discharge capacity, the novel hybrid layered oxides Na_xLi_1.5-xNi_0.167Co_0.167Mn_0.67O₂ with composite structures can be considered as promising cathode materials to promote progress toward sodium-ion batteries.     

Li0.95Na0.05MnPO4/C nanoparticles compounded with reduced graphene oxide sheets for superior lithium ion battery cathode performance

Sodium-substituted LiMnPO₄/C/reduced graphene oxide (LNMP@rGO) was synthesized in this study via freeze drying and carbon thermal reduction method with graphene oxide as carbon source. Sodium ion doping is optimized and rGO effects are evaluated by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, Raman, and electrochemical performance measurements. Well-distributed nanoparticles with average size of ~50?nm are evenly distributed on the surface or intercalation between rGO layers, resulting in a porous ion/electronic conductive network. Compared to 122.3?mA?h?g^?1 in unmodified LNMP, the best LNMP@rGO (20?mg rGO) exhibits an excellent initial discharge capacity of 150.4?mA?h?g^?1 at 0.05?C at 122.9% of the initial capacity. The capacity retention rate is 95.8% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 1?C. Capacity of 101.2?mA?h?g^?1 is preserved even at rates as high as 10?C.     

Electrochemical properties of bare and Ta-substituted Nb2O5 nanostructures

In this work, bare and Ta-substituted Nb₂O₅ nanofibers are prepared by electrospinning followed by sintering at temperatures in the 800–1100 °C range for 1 h in air. Obtained bare and Ta-substituted Nb₂O₅ polymorphs are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, density measurement, and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller surface area. Electrochemical properties are evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic techniques. Cycling performance of Nb₂O₅ structures prepared at temperature 800 °C, 900 °C, and 1100 °C shows following discharge capacity at the end of 10th cycle: 123, 140, and 164 (±3) mAh g⁻¹, respectively, in the voltage range 1.2–3.0 V and at current rate of 150 mA g⁻¹ (1.5 C rate). Heat treated composite electrode based on M-Nb₂O₅ (1100 °C) in argon atmosphere at 220 °C, shows an improved discharge capacity of 192 (±3) mAh g⁻¹ at the end of 10th cycle. The discharge capacity of Ta-substituted Nb₂O₅ prepared at 900 °C and 1100 °C showed a reversible capacity of 150, 202 (±3) mAh g⁻¹, respectively, in the voltage range 1.2–3.0 V and at current rate of 150 mA g⁻¹. Anodic electrochemical properties of M-Nb₂O₅ deliver a reversible capacity of 382 (±5) mAh g⁻¹ at the end of 25th cycle and Ta-substituted Nb₂O₅ prepared at 900 °C, 1000 °C and 1100 °C shows a reversible capacity of 205, 130 and 200 (±3) mAh g⁻¹ (at 25th cycle) in the range, 0.005–2.6 V, at current rate of 100 mA g⁻¹.     

Super-thin LiV3O8 nanosheets/graphene sandwich-like nanostructures with ultrahigh lithium ion storage properties

With the thickness less than 5?nm, super-thin LiV₃O₈ nanosheets have already been successfully synthesized by transformation from super-thin V₂O₅·xH₂O nanosheets, moreover, super-thin LiV₃O₈ nanosheets@graphene (LVO/G) sandwich-like layer-by-layer nanostructures were successfully obtained via a facile self-assembly method and annealing treatment. Such interesting LVO/G nanostructures as cathodes for lithium ion batteries not only show high capacity up to 397.2?mA?h?g^?1 and outstanding rate capabilities (171?mA?h?g^?1 at 10?C, 112?mA?h?g^?1 at 15?C), but also present super-long cycle performance (301.2?mA?h?g^?1 after 500 cycles at 1?C). As far as we known, the LVO/G cathodes exhibit ultrahigh lithium storage performances even much higher than those of previously reported literatures of LiV₃O₈, which demonstrates that such sandwich-like layer-by-layer LVO/G nanostructures is a potential candidate cathode material for the next generation of batteries.     

One-dimensional Ti2Nb10O29 nanowire for enhanced lithium storage

Among a variety of host materials for lithium storage, titanium-niobium oxides exhibit great potential in application. Herein, Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ nanowire is synthesized via an electrospinning method. Compared with bulk Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ prepared by solid-state approach, the electrochemical properties of Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ nanowire is better. According to the galvanostatic charging-discharging test, the initial capacity of 232.8 mAh g^?1 for Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ nanowire is displayed. Besides, it exhibits superior rate performance. With the current density set as 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 C, the Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ nanowire can deliver the specific capacity of 251.3, 240.3, 221.8, 205.3, 188.1 and 174.5 mAh g^?1, respectively. Furthermore, its cycling performance is superior. The capacity retention of Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ nanowire is 85.90% after 900 cycles at 12 C, which is obviously superior than that of bulk Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉ (25.16%). Finally, a Ti₂Nb₁₀O₂₉/LiCoO₂ full cell is fabricated, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, demonstrating its potential for practical application.     

Microwave-assisted one-pot synthesis of SnC2O4/graphene composite anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Currently, SnC₂O₄ is considered as one of the most promising anode materials for high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because its charge capacity is higher than that of metal oxides. Herein, a facile microwave-assisted solvothermal method was employed to obtain SnC₂O₄/GO composites within only 30?min, which is time-efficient. The amount of SnC₂O₄ was increased to 95.3?wt% to improve the capacity of the composite. Pure SnC₂O₄ with a high specific surface area of 19.6?m² g^?1 without any other tin compound was used for fabrication. The SnC₂O₄/GO composite exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, with reversible discharge/charge capacity of 657/659?mA?h?g^?1 after 100 cycles at 0.2?A?g^?1. Furthermore, at high current densities of 1.0 and 2.0?A?g^?1, the SnC₂O₄/GO composite anode exhibited high reversible discharge/charge capacities of 553/552 and 418/414?mA?h?g^?1, respectively, after 200 cycles at room temperature. These improvements were likely obtained because SnC₂O₄ was well composited with graphene, which not only offered rapid electron transfer but also released the tension produced by the volumetric effect during repeated lithiation/delithiation. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was also performed to further study the electrochemical reactions of SnC₂O₄/GO. The facile microwave-assisted solvothermal method used herein is considered as a highly efficient method to fabricate metal oxalate/graphene composites for use as anode materials in LIBs.     

Densely-stacked N-doped mesoporous TiO2/carbon microsphere derived from outdated milk as high-performance electrode material for energy storages

Spherical N-doped mesoporous TiO₂/C (MTC) composite micro-particles are produced by spray drying (SD) and carbonization process. The particle size of MTC microsphere is between 2 and 3.4?µm, and the N-doped amorphous C around TiO₂ could provide a conductive matrix, and buffer the volume change. When evaluated as electrodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and Li-S batteries (LSBs), the MTC microsphere exhibits relatively high discharge-voltage plateau, excellent capacity retention and rate capability. As anode for LIBs, after 200 cycles, a reversible capacity more than 230?mA?h?g^?1 can achieved at 1?C. And for LSBs, a specific capacity of 1317.7?mA?h?g^?1 at 1?C and the capacity retention of 73.8% after 500 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance is ascribed to robust scaffolding architecture and conductive N-doped carbon matrix. The excellent electrochemical performance and process ability of the MTC microspheres make them very attractive as electrode materials for use in high rate battery application.     

Vanadium trioxide nanowire arrays as a cathode material for lithium-ion battery

This paper reports a study on the electrochemical performance of vanadium trioxide (V₂O₃) nanowire arrays as a cathode material for Li-ion battery. V₂O₃ nanowire arrays are formed via thermal treatment of ammonium vanadium bronze (NH₄V₄O₁₀) nanowires in a 5% H₂ and 95% Ar atmosphere. X-ray diffraction confirms the thermal reduction. The V₂O₃ nanowire arrays as an electrode of lithium-ion battery exhibit high reversible capacity and excellent long-term cycling stability. The discharge capacity increases from 243 to 428?mA?h?g^?1 at the first 20 cycles. After 100 cycles, a stable capacity of 444?mA?h?g^?1 is retained at a current density of 30?mA?g^?1.     

A novel “plane-line-plane” nanostructure of the sandwich-like CNTs@SnO2/Ti3C2Tx 3D nanocomposite as a promising anode for lithium-ion batteries

As one of the novel two-dimensional metal carbides, Ti₃C₂T_x has received intense attention for lithium-ion batteries. However, Ti₃C₂T_x has low intrinsic capacity due to the fact that the surface functionalization of F and OH blocks Li ion transport. Herein a novel “plane-line-plane” three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure is designed and created by introducing the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and SnO₂ nanoparticles to Ti₃C₂T_x via a simple hydrothermal method. Due to the capacitance contribution of SnO₂ as well as the buffer role of CNTs, the as-fabricated sandwich-like CNTs@SnO₂/Ti₃C₂T_x nanocomposite shows high lithium ion storage capabilities, excellent rate capability and superior cyclic stability. The galvanostatic electrochemical measurements indicate that the nanocomposite exhibits a superior capacity of 604.1 mAh g^?1 at 0.05?A?g^?1, which is higher than that of raw Ti₃C₂T_x (404.9 mAh g^?1). Even at 3?A?g^?1, it retains a stable capacity (91.7 mAh g^?1). This capacity is almost 5.6 times higher than that of Ti₃C₂T_x (16.6 mAh g^?1) and 58 times higher than that of SnO₂/Ti₃C₂T_x (1.6 mAh g^?1). Additionally, the capacity of CNTs@SnO₂/Ti₃C₂T_x for the 50th cycle is 180.1 mAh g^?1 at 0.5?A?g^?1, also higher than that of Ti₃C₂T_x (117.2 mAh g^?1) and SnO₂/Ti₃C₂T_x (65.8 mAh g^?1), respectively.     

In-situ grown hierarchical ZnCo2O4 nanosheets on nickel foam as binder-free anode for lithium ion batteries

Nickle foam-supported hierarchical ZnCo₂O₄ nanosheets was prepared via a facile solution-based method. Porous ZnCo₂O₄ nanosheets were in-situ grown on current collector, forming a binder-free electrode. When evaluated as anode for Lithium ion batteries (LIB_S), the binder-free electrode showed an attractive electrochemical performance. A reversible capacity of 773?mAh?g^?1 could be stably delivered after a 500-cycle test at a current density of 0.25?A?g^?1, with a high capacity retention of 87%. The electrode could maintain a high reversible capacity of 245?mA?h?g^?1 even at an elevated current density of 8.0?A?g^?1. Integrated structure and rich porosity of the binder-free electrode were believed to contribute to the superior performance. Thus, the Nickle foam-supported ZnCo₂O₄ electrode is a promising anode for high performance LIBs in the coming future.     

Catalytic behavior of V2O5 in rechargeable Li–O2 batteries

The possibility of using vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) as a catalyst in rechargeable lithium–oxygen (Li–O₂) batteries was studied. A V₂O₅-carbon composite was cast onto Ni foam to form a cathode. Electrochemical cells designed based on the flat cell manufactured by Hohsen Corporation were fabricated. The initial discharge capacity was 715 mA?h?g^?1, and the maximum discharge capacity reached 2,260 mA?h?g^?1 during the twelfth cycle. The cell had high capacity retention during cycling (1.24?% during cycles 2–8). V₂O₅ acted as a catalyst as well as an active material, improving the specific capacity and capacity retention of the non-aqueous Li–O₂ cell more effectively than do other materials.