Crystal chemistry of electrochemically inserted LixV2O5

The capacity of Li/V2O5 batteries is improved by the extension of the usual cycling domain from 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1 to 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.8. Such behavior is attributed to the formation of a γ-LiV2O5 bronze for x ⩾ 1. Reversible deintercalation of lithium from the γ-phase leads to a new form of V2O5 that explains the enhancement of cell potential.