Vanadium-doped manganese oxides as cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries

Abstract

Vanadium-doped manganese oxides meant for use as lithium intercalation cathode materials have been prepared by oxidation of Mn(II) precursors in the presence of V2O5 in an aqueous solution at ambient temperature. This oxidation procedure offers numerous advantages such as environmental suitability, cost-efficiency, and good control over the chemical composition and morphology of the synthesized powders. X-ray diffraction of synthesized powders reveals an amorphous structure. Notably, even after heating the material for 24 hours at 400 °C, there was no evidence of significant crystallization. The failure to crystallize indicates that the presence of vanadium stabilizes the high-energy amorphous structure. Electrochemical characterization of these cathode materials showed a specific capacity of 50-70 mAh/g and excellent capacity retention upon cycling.