Lithium insertion into Li4V3O8

The lithium insertion characteristics of lithium vanadate, Li₄V₃O₈, were investigated using LiV₃O₈ prepared by the precipitation technique as the starting material. The Li₄V₃O₈ phase was formed by lithiation over x=1.5 in Li_1+xV₃O₈, and the diffusion of lithium in this phase determined the reaction rate of insertion more than x=1.5. Improvement of insertion kinetics in the Li₄V₃O₈ phase extended the lithium insertion limit from x=3.2 to x=4.0, compared with the case of LiV₃O₈ by conventional high temperature synthesis. Lithium insertion proceeds as the single-phase reaction in the range of 3.2<x<4.0.