Influences of Treatment Temperature and Water Content on Capacity and Rechargeability of V[sub 2]O[sub 5] Xerogel Films

Abstract

xerogel films prepared with spray deposition have been investigated for their lithium battery applications. The influences of spray deposition and postannealing temperatures on the water content, structure, and electrochemical performance of the films have been studied. Water contents of the films depend on the deposition and postannealing temperatures. One film sprayed at 150°C and annealed at 190°C exhibited a large discharge capacity and the longest cycling life. By contrast, the films sprayed or annealed at high temperatures (>250°C) showed poor electrochemical performance. The film deposited at a substrate temperature of 420°C demonstrated structural features and electrochemical behavior of orthorhombic X-ray diffraction patterns of the films treated at different temperatures reveal that removal of too much water at high temperatures results in crystallization or a small interlayer spacing, which may restrict the diffusion of lithium ions inside films. solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectra show that the films annealed at low temperatures (i.e., 120°C or room temperature) have broad peaks and significant downfield isotropic chemical shifts, suggesting that the interlayered water produces a distorted square-pyramidal ligand field that may favor lithium intercalation and electron transfer within the matrix of the films. © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.