V2O3/rGO composite as a potential anode material for lithium ion batteries

V2O3 is a promising anode material and has attracted the interests of researchers because of its high theoretical capacity of 1070 mAh g−1, low discharge potential, inexpensiveness, abundant sources, and environmental friendliness. However, the development and application of V2O3 have been hindered by the low conductivity and drastic volume change of V2O3 composites. In this work, V2O3/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites are successfully prepared through a facile solvothermal method and annealing process. In this synthesis protocol, V2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) are encapsulated by rGO. This unique structure enables rGO to inhibit volume changes and improve the ion and electronic conductivity of V2O3. In addition, V2O3 NPs, which exhibit sizes of 5-40 nm, are uniformly dispersed on rGO sheets without aggregation. The Li+ storage behavior of V2O3/rGO is systematically investigated in the potential range 0.01-3.0 V. The V2O3/rGO nanocomposite can achieve a high reversible specific capacity of 823.4 mAh g−1 under the current density of 0.1 A g−1, and 407.3 mAh g−1 under the high current density of 4.0 A g−1. The results of this study provide insight into the fabrication of rGO-based functional materials with extensive applications.