Gel-combustion synthesized vanadium pentoxide nanowire clusters for rechargeable lithium batteries

Gel-combustion by a bio-fuel, processed starch of the root tuber of cassava (Manihot esculenta), was used to prepare vanadium pentoxide nanowire clusters (V2O5NWC). The as-synthesized product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) UVeVisible spectroscopy and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The electrochemical performance of V2O5NWC has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic cycling (GC) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The V2O5NWC had a discharge capacity of 188 mAh g(-1) with better capacity retention of 90% at the end of the 50th cycle, which corresponds to a coulombic efficiency of around 99%. The rate performance of the compound is also carried out and it has shown excellent performance. EIS was used to study the kinetic properties of Li+ ions for V2O5NWC and the fitted resistance and capacitance values are discussed in detail. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.