Lithium Polyacrylate as Lithium and Carbon Source in the Synthesis of Li₃ VO₄ for High-Rate and Long-Life Li-Ion...

Li₃ VO₄ is a promising anode material for use in lithium-ion batteries, however, the conventional synthesis methods for Li₃ VO₄ anodes involve the separate use of lithium and carbon sources, resulting in inefficient contact and low crystalline quality. Herein, lithium polyacrylate (LiPAA) was utilized as a dual-functional source and an in-situ polymerization followed by a spray-drying method was employed to synthesize Li₃ VO₄ . LiPAA serves a dual purpose, acting as both a lithium source to improve the crystal process and a carbon source to confine the particle size within a desired volume during high-temperature treatment. Additionally, the in-situ synthesis of a porous carbon decorating skeleton prevents the growth and agglomeration of Li₃ VO₄ particles and provides abundant ion/electron diffusion channels and contact areas. Based on the synthesis route and the constructed primary-secondary structure, the Li₃ VO₄ anodes obtained in this study exhibit an impressive capacity of 596.2 mAh g^-1 . Moreover, they demonstrate enhanced rate performance over 600 cycles during 10 periods of rate testing, as well as a remarkably long lifespan of 5000 cycles at high currents. The utilization of LiPAA as a dual-functional source represents a broad approach that holds great potential for future research on high-performance electrodes requiring both lithium and carbon sources.