Recent progress in hybrid cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are considered as one of the most promising power sources for electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications due to their high energy density, durable cycle life, higher output power and safety issues. Previous research has mainly focused on a single electrode. However, it is difficult for a single cathode material to meet the requirements for EVs and HEVs, and so the concept of a hybrid cathode material'' was proposed. A so-called hybrid cathode material combines a number of excellent electrochemical properties of each cathode material and has become an alternative to conventional single cathode materials. Present study of hybrid cathode materials is mainly focused on composites of two kinds of cathode materials. In this review, we summarize recent progress in hybrid cathode materials, such as LiFePO4-Li3V2(PO4)(3), LiFePO4-LiCoO2, LiFePO4-LiMn2O4, LiFePO4-LiVPO4F, LiFePO4-LiMnPO4, Li3V2(PO4)(3)-LiMnPO4, Li3V2(PO4)(3)-LiVPO4F, Li3V2(PO4)(3)-LiVOPO4 and LiCoO2-LiMn2O4. A perspective of hybrid cathode materials is also discussed.