LiV2O5 nanobelts for high capacity lithium-ion battery cathodes

5-10 mu m long, typically 200-300 nm wide, and several nanometers thick LixV2O5 (x similar to 0.8) nanobelts with the delta-type crystal structure were synthesized by a hydrothermal treatment of Li+-exchanged V2O5 gel. When dried at 200 degrees C under vacuum prior to electrochemical testing, the as-prepared nanobelts underwent the well-known delta ->epsilon ->gamma-phase transition giving a mixture of epsilon and gamma phases as a nanocomposite electrode material. Such a simple preparation procedure guarantees a yield of material with drastically enhanced initial discharge specific capacity of 490 rnAh/g and great cyclability. The enhanced electrochemical performance is attributed to the complex of experimental procedures including post-synthesis treatment of the single-crystalline LixV2O5 nanobelts. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.