Cu doped V₂O₅ flowers as cathode material for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Hierarchical Cu doped vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) flowers were prepared via a simple hydrothermal approach followed by an annealing process. The flower precursors are self-assembled with 1D nanobelts surrounding a central core. The morphological evolution is investigated and a plausible mechanism is proposed. As the cathode material for lithium ion batteries, the Cu doped V₂O₅ samples exhibit improved electrochemical performance compared to the un-doped ones. Among them Cu _0.02V_1.98O₅ delivered higher reversible specific capacities, better cycling stabilities and excellent rate capabilities, e.g. 97 mA h g^-1 at 20.0 C.