Synthesis and electrochemical properties of V2O5 nanostructures prepared via a precipitation process for lithium-ion battery cathodes

One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) have been successfully synthesized via a precipitation process followed by heating in vacuum at 300 °C. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemical testing by techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and discharge–charge cycling in lithium cells. Average crystal size of these oxides increased from 36 to 83 nm as annealing time was increased from 45 min to 1 h, which also led to a decrease in Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area from 41 to 17 m2 g−1. Good cyclability and high capacity (>200 mAh g−1) were achieved in the voltage range of 2.0–4.0 V (versus Li metal) at a current rate of 50 mA g−1 by annealing the oxides for 1 h. The increase in crystallinity and higher yield of one-dimensional nanostructure oxides contributed significantly to the improved capacity and enhanced cycle life.