Charge ordering in lithium vanadium phosphates: electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

The delithiation process in monoclinic Li3V2(PO4)3 has been determined by powder neutron diffraction coupled with 7Li solid-state NMR techniques. Charge ordering of vanadium (V3+/V4+) was observed in Li2V2(PO4)3 as shown by the gray and blue V-O octahedra, respectively, indicating that the electrons are pinned in this phase and hence transport is limited.