Phase Transformations During Li-Insertion into V2O5 at Elevated Temperature

Recent interest in developing cathode materials for an elevated temperature operation of Li-ion batteries has motivated researchers to explore the possibility of using layered V2O5 as a potential candidate because of its high capacity and cyclic stability. Despite a wide lithiation voltage window of V2O5 (between 1.0 V and 4.0 V), compositional fluctuations, metal dissolution, and so on contribute to capacity loss at high temperatures. A first discharge of V2O5 to voltages below 2.0 V has been observed to be associated with a series of phase transformations at both room temperature and high temperature and has been characterized here. From structural characterization of harvested electrodes post-first discharge, a new Li-rich phase was observed to be formed at 120 degrees C and the composition was estimated.