In-situ preparation of nitrogen-doped carbon-modified lithium vanadium phosphate fibers with mesoporous nanostructure for lithium energy storage

Abstract To significantly enhance the lithium storage performance of lithium vanadium phosphate (Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 ), nitrogen-doped carbon-modified Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 fibers with mesoporous structure have been designed and prepared for the first time via a simple electrospinning technology. The obtained results demonstrate that the nanosized Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 crystals (10–25 nm) are embedded into the one-dimensional carbon fibers. Meanwhile, the electrochemical tests indicate that the prepared electrode possesses outstanding rate performance for energy storage with a high capacity of 129.2 mAh g −1 over 400 cycles at 20 C. The good battery property can be attributed to the nanosized crystals and conductive mesoporous carbon nanofibers, which can decrease the Li + diffusion pathway and improve the apparent conductivity of the active material.