V2O5 Nanowire Composite Paper as a High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode

Ultralong, as long as ∼1 mm, orthorhombic vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ) nanowires were synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Free-standing and binder-free composite paper was prepared on a large scale by a two-step reduction method using free-standing V 2 O 5 nanowires as the skeleton and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets as the additive. Such a free-standing V 2 O 5 /rGO composite paper as a cathode for lithium ion batteries possesses both structural integrity and extraordinary electrochemical performance. The reversible specific areal capacity of the V 2 O 5 /rGO composite paper electrode is 885 μAh/cm 2 at 0.09 mA/cm 2 , much higher than that of the pure V 2 O 5 nanowire paper electrode (570 μAh/cm 2 ). It also shows excellent cycling performance at high rates with 30.9% loss of its initial capacities after 1000 cycles at a current rate of 0.9 mA/cm 2 . The excellent performance was attributed to the improved electronic conductivity and Li + ion transport from the rGO addition.