Electrospun V2O5 Nanostructures with Controllable Morphology as High-Performance Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Porous V₂O₅ nanotubes, hierarchical V₂O₅ nanofibers, and single-crystalline V₂O₅ nanobelts were controllably synthesized by using a simple electrospinning technique and subsequent annealing. The mechanism for the formation of these controllable structures was investigated. When tested as the cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the as-formed V₂O₅ nanostructures exhibited a highly reversible capacity, excellent cycling performance, and good rate capacity. In particular, the porous V₂O₅ nanotubes provided short distances for Li⁺-ion diffusion and large electrode-electrolyte contact areas for high Li⁺-ion flux across the interface; Moreover, these nanotubes delivered a high power density of 40.2 kW kg⁻¹ whilst the energy density remained as high as 201 W h kg⁻¹, which, as one of the highest values measured on V₂O₅-based cathode materials, could bridge the performance gap between batteries and supercapacitors. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first preparation of single-crystalline V₂O₅ nanobelts by using electrospinning techniques. Interestingly, the beneficial crystal orientation provided improved cycling stability for lithium intercalation. These results demonstrate that further improvement or optimization of electrochemical performance in transition-metal-oxide-based electrode materials could be realized by the design of 1D nanostructures with unique morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]