Synthesis and performance of Li_1.5V₃O₈ nanosheets as a cathode material for high-rate lithium-ion batteries

Li_1.5V₃O₈ nanosheets as a cathode material for high-rate lithium-ion batteries are prepared by sol-gel method. SEM and TEM observations show that the prepared samples are nanosheet structure, with a typical width of 600 nm and length of 800 nm. Charge-discharge measurements demonstrate that Li_1.5V₃O₈ nanosheets exhibit high initial discharge specific capacity of 260, 204 mAh g^{- 1} at current densities of 130 mA g^-1 and 175 mA g^-1, respectively. Even after 100 cycles, the discharge specific capacity still remains 170 mAh g^-1 and 100 mAh g^-1. The high discharge specific capacity and good cycling stability are attributed to nanosheets morphology of Li_1.5V ₃O₈ that can provide lithium ions with more sites, shorten diffusion distance, and maintain good contact between the active material and electrolyte. All these results indicate that Li_1.5V₃O ₈ nanosheets are promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.