Synthesis of V2 O5 /Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Integrated into Nanostructured Composites as Cathode Materials in High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Vanadium pentoxide (V2 O5)-anchored single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composites have been developed through a simple sol–gel process, followed by hydrothermal treatment. The resulting material is suitable for use in flexible ultra-high capacity electrode applications for lithium-ion batteries. The unique combination of V2 O5 with 0.2 wt.% of SWCNT offers a highly conductive three-dimensional network. This ultimately alleviates the low lithium-ion intercalation seen in V2 O5 itself and facilitates vanadium redox reactions. The integration of SWCNTs into the layered structure of V2 O5 leads to a high specific capacity of 390 mAhg−1 at 0.1 C between 1.8 to 3.8 V, which is close to the theoretical capacity of V2 O5 (443 mAhg−1). In recent research, most of the V2 O5 with carbonaceous materials shows higher specific capacity but limited cyclability and poor rate capability. In this work, good cyclability with only 0.3% per cycle degradation during 200 cycles and enhanced rate capability of 178 mAhg−1 at 10 C have been achieved. The excellent electrochemical kinetics during lithiation/delithiation is attributed to the chemical interaction of SWCNTs entrapped between layers of the V2 O5 nanostructured network. Proper dispersion of SWC-NTs into the V2 O5 structure, and its resulting effects, have been validated by SEM, TEM, XPS, XRD, and electrical resistivity measurements. This innovative hybrid material offers a new direction for the large-scale production of high-performance cathode materials for advanced flexible and structural battery applications.