Effect of Amount of Water Dispersant on Morphological and Electrochemical Properties of Li3V2(PO4)3/C Prepared with Carbothermic Reduction Method

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Abstract
Li3V2(PO4)3/C (LVP/C) cathode materials were synthesized via a carbothermic reduction method at different solid/liquid ratios, where the solid stood for mass of raw materials (g) and liquid represented the volume of pure water (mL) that was used as the ballmilling dispersant. The crystalline phases and morphologies of the prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The electrochemical properties were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The results reveal that the Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode material synthesized at a ballmilling solid/liquid (by mass/volume, g/mL) ratio of 3:10 exhibited an architecture of small LVP grains encapsulated by thick, uniform and interconnected carbon layers, which can enlarge the electrochemical reaction interface, enhance the electrical conductivity and favor the solid diffusion of lithium ions. Because of this unique morphology, this sample (with a solid/liquid ratio of 3:10) showed the best electrochemical performance (i.e. discharge capacities, cyclability, and low temperature performance) among samples prepared at different solid/liquid ratios (3:5, 3:10, and 3:15).