In-situ-grown hierarchical mesoporous Li₃VO₄ on GO as a viable anode material for lithium ion batteries

A simple and template-free one-pot solvothermal method is developed to grow hierarchical mesoporous Li₃VO₄ (HM-Li₃VO₄) on graphene oxide (GO). The growth of nutshell-shaped Li₃VO₄ on GO with nutshell sizes ranging from 2 micrometres to sub-micrometre levels and a multimodal mesopore hierarchy lead to enhanced electrical and ionic conductivity of HM-Li₃VO₄-GO as compared to that of HM-Li₃VO₄ or non-porous solid-state prepared Li₃VO₄ alone. The composite material shows a charge capacity of 559 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C for the first cycle and a discharge capacity of 414 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5 C in the second cycle between 0.2 and 3 V. Furthermore, discharge capacity of 374 mAh g⁻¹ achieved at 0.5 C in the fifth cycle is comparable or superior to those reported for other Li₃VO₄ samples with similar carbon contents. The superior anode performance is attributed to its mesopore hierarchy and attachment with GO.