Vanadium oxide nanorods for Li-ion battery applications

Vanadium oxide (V(2)O(5)) nanorods of size 10-50 nm diameter with a length of several micrometers were synthesized from xerogels through a template-free simple hydrothermal process. The pristine products were then characterized using X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The measured specific charge for template-free V(2)O(5) nanorods is 385 mAh/g during the initial discharge process. A decrease in the specific charge during cycling indicates the loss of electronegativity. (C) 2008 The Electrochemical Society.