From crystalline V2O5 to nanostructured vanadium oxides using aromatic amines as templates

Nanoneedles, nanorods of B-VO2, and vanadium oxide nanotubes with high crystallinity were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal treatment using crystalline V2O5 as a precursor and aromatic amines (C6H5-(CH2)n-NH2 with n=0, 1, 3) as structure-directing templates. Samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms and infrared spectroscopy. Nanoneedles, 0.5–5 μm in length and about 50 nm in average diameter and VO2(B) nanorods about 20–100 nm wide and up to 2.5 μm long, have been obtained. The inner and the outer diameters of the vanadium oxide nanotubes vary, respectively, between 15–25 and 70–100 nm with a length up to 4 μm.