Anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and methods of making and using the same

A method of synthesizing an anode material, said method comprising:

• (a) applying a reducing agent to a precursor material, wherein said reducing agent
• comprises lithium, and wherein said precursor material comprises vanadium oxide,
• lithium vanadium oxide, or a combination thereof, thereby generating a reduced material;
• (b) introducing a surface coating onto said reduced material, after step (a) and/or
• during step (a), wherein said surface coating contains a species selected from the group
• consisting of carbon, a metal oxide, a metalloid oxide, a metal fluoride, a metalloid
• fluoride, a metal phosphate, a metalloid phosphate, and combinations thereof;
• and
• (c) recovering an anode material comprising a plurality of anode-material
• particles, wherein said anode-material particles comprise an internal phase containing
• lithium vanadium oxide and said surface coating disposed on external surfaces of said
• internal phase, wherein said lithium vanadium oxide has a composition given by LiaVbOc,
• wherein a=0.001-10, b=1-3, c=1-9, and a, b, and c are selected to charge-balance
• said LiaVbOc, wherein said LiaVbOc is capable of being reversibly lithiated;
• wherein said method further comprises:
• dissolving said reduced material to form a sol-gel;
• mixing a precursor of said surface coating with said sol-gel to form a homogeneous mixture;
• drying said homogeneous mixture, thereby forming a dried powder;
• calcining said dried powder in air, wherein said precursor of said surface coating is converted into said surface coating;
• and
• recovering said anode-material particles.