A porous vanadium pentoxide nanomaterial as cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries

A porous vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanomaterial was prepared by using the electrospun PMMA fibers as a template, which could be removed by annealing at high temperature leaving tube-like pores with 1 μm in diameter. It is composed of numerous rice-like nanoparticles in 50–100 nm size. In the potential range of 4.0–2.0 V (vs. Li/Li+), it can deliver a high reversible capacity of 283 mAh g−1 at 0.2C rate and exhibits an excellent rate capability (104 mAh g−1 at 12C rate). Even cycled at the 4C rate, the discharge capacity still remains 85% of the initial one over 300 cycles, showing an excellent cycling performance. The results suggest the obtained V2O5 nanomaterial could develop into a promising cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries.

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► V2O5 with tubular pores was prepared through a sol–gel process using the electrospun PMMA fibers template.
► It could deliver a high initial capacity of 283 mAh g−1 at the 0.2C rate in the 4–2 V (vs. Li/Li+) range.
► It exhibited excellent rate capability as well as cycling ability.
► It would be a promising cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries.