Improvement in the electrochemical performance of LixV2O5 induced by Tb doping

We have studied the electrochemical behavior of Tb0.11V2O5 electrodes in propylene carbonate and LiClO4. The techniques used in the study were cyclic voltammetry, discharge/charge polarization, FTIR and XRD. The Tb0.11V2O5 compound was prepared using the xerogel route and the composite electrodes were membranes prepared with PVDF-binder and carbon. The results show that the Tb doping improves the electrochemical performance of V2O5 due to the bonding of the earth-rare ions and the residual H2O in the V2O5 structure. The capacity fading was reduced, the specific reversible capacity was 330 mA g−1 (C/4, cut-off 3.7–2.0 V) and the voltage presented a large plateau at 2.5 V for the Tb0.11V2O5 electrodes. The charge transfer between Li and Tb0.11V2O5 does not involve the oxidation–reduction of the Tb3+ ions.