Systematic evaluation of lithium-excess polyanionic compounds as multi-electron reaction cathodes

Polyanion cathodes with multi-electron redox always facilitate wider application in a metal ion-based battery system because of their high capacity and safety. However, the irreversible phase transformation and interfacial deterioration remain major impediments. Herein, using monoclinic Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ as a model, the impact of excess lithium on its electrochemical properties are demonstrated. It was determined that a maximum of 5% excess lithium could be incorporated into the monoclinic structure, and a further overdose of lithium led to the formation of secondary phase Li₃PO₄. The excess Li⁺ ions are located at both octahedral and interstitial sites, which enable enhanced redox kinetics that are mainly attributed to accelerated ionic movement induced by alternate diffusion behavior of Li⁺ ions in a three-dimensional permeation path. Moreover, Li-excess local configurations can stabilize the lattice oxygen and provide a favorable cathode-electrolyte interface, which synergistically relieves the structural degradation during electrochemical cycling, thus guaranteeing exceptional cycling stability (e.g., 82.5% after 1000 cycles at 1000 mA g^-1). These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of defect/electronic structure/ion transport and the intrinsic properties of polyanionic Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ and may help to pave the way for other highly stable electrodes for rechargeable batteries.