Building ultrastable carbon nanotube/vanadium oxide electrodes via a crosslinking strategy

•A chemical crosslinking strategy was proposed to make ultrastable battery electrode.•The flexible electrode showed a mechanical strength of 4.8 MPa.•Much improved stability was obtained during the long-term charge/discharge cycles.

Reliability of electron and ion transport pathways is one of the most essential criteria that govern cycling stability of lithium-ion battery devices. Herein, crosslinked CNT/V2O5 composite electrodes were fabricated using a chemical coupling method between their interfacial contacts. The crosslinked electrodes show a mechanical strength of ~ 4.8 MPa, and have stable performance during long-term charge–discharge cycles. The results suggest the importance of forming a crosslinked structure to enhance electrode stability.