Facile synthesis of cookies-shaped LiV3O8 cathode materials with good cycling performance for lithium-ion batteries

Cookies-shaped LiV3O8 materials were successfully synthesized by a facile ethylene glycol-assisted sol-gel method. The LiV3O8 compound fabricated at 550 °C delivers an initial specific discharge capacity of 255.2  mAh g−1 between 2.0 and 4.0 V at a current density of 50 mA g−1, and possesses a capacity retention of 90.2% after 50 cycles and up to 85% at a current density of 120 mA g−1 after 100 cycles. Furthermore, the compound with a proper particle size and high crystallinity also shows high electrochemical reversibility and structural stability, leading good rate capability. By analysis of inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP), the cookies-like LiV3O8 has very little dissolution of vanadium in the electrolyte after 100 cycles, indicating that the well-formed crystal can protect the structure damage to some degree during cycling.