A PEG-assisted rheological phase reaction synthesis of 5LiFePO4a⟨...Li3V2(PO4)3/C as cathode material for lithium ion cells

5LiFePO(4)a <...Li3V2(PO4)(3)/C composite cathode material is synthesized by a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-assisted rheological phase method. As a surfactant and dispersing agent, PEG can effectively inhabit the aggregation of colloidal particles during the formation of the gel. Meanwhile, PEG will coat on the particles to play the role of carbon source during the sintering. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical methods. XRD results indicate that the 5LiFePO(4)a <...Li3V2(PO4)(3)/C composites are well crystallized and contain olivine-type LiFePO4 and monoclinic Li3V2(PO4)(3) phases. The composite synthesized at 650 A degrees C exhibits the initial discharge capacities of 134.8 and 129.9 mAh g(-1) and the capacity retentions of 96.2 and 97.1 % after 50 cycles at 1C and 2C rates, respectively.