Manganese vanadium oxide nanotubes: Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemistry

Vanadium oxide nanotubes have been formed from the layered vanadium oxide precursor V2O5+delta[C12H25NH3]. Both the precursor and tubes have been characterized. The black nanotubes have a relatively low thermal stability in oxygen, being oxidized to V2O5 below 200 degreesC. A new manganese vanadium oxide nanotube, Mn0.1VO2.5+delta. nH(2)O, has been synthesized by ion exchange. These manganese tubes have a tetragonal layer with a = 6.157 (3) Angstrom and an interlayer spacing c = 10.52 (3) Angstrom. The nanotubes react with lithium chemically and are also electrochemically active in lithium cells. Two lithium atoms per vanadium can be incorporated chemically from n-butyllithium into both the manganese and the alkylammonium nanotubes. The manganese compound electrochemically intercalates 0.5 lithium per vanadium to a 2 V cutoff, giving a capacity of 140 A h/kg.