Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Ni-Doped VO2(B) as a Cathode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

Ni-doped VO2(B) samples (NixVO2(B)) were fabricated by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. When evaluated as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), these Ni-doped VO2(B) exhibited improved lithium storage performance as compared to the pure VO2(B). In particular, when the doping amount is 3%, NixVO2(B) showed the highest lithium storage capacity, best cycling stability, smallest electrochemical reaction resistance, and largest lithium diffusion coefficient. For example, after 100 cycles at a current density of 32.4 mA/g, NixVO2(B) delivered a high specific discharge capacity of 163.0 mAh/g, much higher than that of the pure VO2(B) sample (95.5 mAh/g). Therefore, Ni doping is an effective strategy for enhancing the lithium storage performance of VO2(B).