Preparation of aligned MnV2O6 nanorods and their anodic performance for lithium secondary battery use

Aligned single-crystal manganese vanadate (MnV2O6) lath-like nanorods with diameters of 20-30 nm and lengths up to 2-4 mu m have been fabricated via a simple hydrothermal route at low temperature (180 degrees C) using V2O5 gel as the precursor. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction have been employed to characterize the crystal structures and morphologies of the products. The thermal characterization was studied by differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetry measurements. A possible growth mechanism for the aligned MnV2O6 nanorods has been proposed. An electrochemical test showed that these aligned MnV2O6 nanorods exhibited a high charge-discharge capacity of 650 mA h g(-1).