Structural and electrochemical properties of Al3+ doped V2O5 nanoparticles prepared by an oxalic acid assisted soft-chemical method

V2O5 and Al0.2V2O5 nanoparticles were prepared by an oxalic acid assisted soft-chemical method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the V5+ oxidation state of V2O5, whereas an intermediate state between V5+ and V4+ of Al0.2V2O5. Raman scattering showed that the Al3+ ions existed in an [AlO6] octahedral environment. The doping of Al3+ increased the cohesion between the V2O5 slabs, which enhanced the structural stability of the material. The chemical diffusion coefficients of the Al0.2V2O5 nanoparticles were a little bit smaller than those of V2O5. Charge–discharge cycling showed that the Al0.2V2O5 nanoparticles exhibited much better capacity retention than the un-doped V2O5, which was attributed to the enhanced structural stability of the material.