Performance Evaluation of the Electroactive Material, γ-LiV[sub 2]O[sub 5], Made by a Carbothermal Reduction Method

The electroactive phase, has been prepared by a preparative approach based on a modified carbothermal reduction (CTR) reaction. The CTR approach uses a particulate carbon as a selective and controlled reducing agent while also allowing simultaneous lithium ion incorporation. A preparative reaction window of 550 to 700°C is found to be suitable for the quantitative formation of single-phase At lower reaction temperatures a mixture of reaction products is formed, while at carbo-thermal reduction temperatures in excess of 700°C the formation of and is favored. Electrochemical evaluation of the optimized demonstrates that the active material is capable of a reversible specific capacity of 130 mAh/g, a performance equivalent to cycling of in High-resolution electrochemical testing indicates that the lithium insertion process is characterized by two highly reversible reactions. The stability of these insertion reactions is established by lifetime cycling of the in both metallic lithium and lithium-ion cells. Preliminary evaluation in the lithium ion configuration indicates a high first-cycle charge efficiency and long-term cycling characterized by relatively low capacity fade. The demonstrated performance compares favorably with that reported elsewhere for the alternate lithium-ion system. In summary, we believe the CTR method offers an energy efficient, economical, and scalable process for producing the promising electroactive compound © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.