Conversion of V2O5·xH2O into orthorhombic V2O5 single-crystalline nanobelts

Orthorhombic V2O5 single-crystalline nanobelts have been synthesized by hydrothermal treating V2O5·xH2O precipitate derived from aqueous solution of V2O5 and H2O2. The synthetic method is facile, fast, environmental friendly, and easy to scale up. The V2O5 single-crystalline nanobelts are 30–80 nm in width, 30–40 nm in thickness, and lengths up to several tens of micrometers. The V2O5·xH2O precursor is crucial for the formation of orthorhombic V2O5 single-crystalline nanobelts. The influences of synthetic parameters, such as reaction time and reaction temperature, on the crystal structures and morphologies of the resulting products have been investigated. Time-dependent experiments show that V2O5·xH2O are dehydrated gradually and converted into orthorhombic V2O5 single-crystalline nanobelts. High reaction temperature also favors the formation of orthorhombic V2O5 nanobelts.