Polyaniline-intercalated layered vanadium oxide nanocomposites-One-pot hydrothermal synthesis and application in lithium battery

Polyaniline-intercalated layered vanadium oxide nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by an one-pot hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of reaction conditions, such as pH value of the precursor solution, reaction temperature and time, and the amount of aniline on the structure and morphology of the obtained samples, were systematically investigated. Based on the experimental results, an in situ intercalation-polymerization-exfoliation mechanism was put forward for the formation of layered nanocomposites. The application of the resulting layered nanocomposite as the cathode material in lithium battery was tested and the results showed that the polyaniline-intercalated layered vanadium oxide nanocomposite prepared at 140 degrees C had a good cycling performance and might act as a promising cathode material for high-energy-density rechargeable lithium batteries.