Chemical Lithiation Studies on Combustion Synthesized V2O5 Cathodes with Full Cell Application for Lithium Ion Batteries

Fundamental studies on Li-intercalation into layered vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), synthesized by urea combustion method, have been successfully carried out by chemical lithiation using butyl lithium at various concentrations. Morphological and structural changes during chemical lithiation are analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements, respectively. Furthermore, chemical states and elemental concentration of these lithiated V2O5 phases were elucidated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma. Electrochemical studies via potentiostatic and galvanostatic modes show that the chemically-lithiated V2O5 phases undergo similar redox behavior as bare V2O5 at respective discharge-states. The electrochemical studies confirmed the occurrence of various phase transformations at various levels of discharge relating to both reduction of vanadium (V5+) and intercalation of lithium ions in V2O5. Finally, the full-cell comprising of lithiated V2O5 cathode and spinel Li4Ti5O12 anode is demonstrated to study their compatibility toward insertion type anodes, delivering the reversible capacity of 80 mAh g(-1). (C) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.