High-performance Cu-doped vanadium oxide (CuxV2O5) prepared by rapid precipitation method for rechargeable batteries

CuxV2O5 (x = 0, 0.15, 0.25) was prepared by acidifying aqueous NaVO3 with diluted H2SO4 followed by mixing Cu powder with V2O5 precipitate. The method is a rapid synthesis procedure, compared to the ion-exchange method. The effect of copper on the characteristics of V2O5 was also investigated. These materials maintained the layered structure typical of V2O5 xerogel. It was found that the copper-doped V2O5 material exhibits better cycle performance than the undoped V2O5. Cu0.25V2O5 showed an initial discharge capacity of 259.2 mA h/g in the potential range of 1.5–4.0 V at 96 mA/g (C/3). After the 100 consecutive cycles, the specific capacity of the Cu0.25V2O5 electrode maintained 219.5 mA h/g. The doped material prepared by the rapid method shows better a cycling performance, compared to the ion-exchange method.