Enhanced composites of V₂O₅ nanowires decorating on graphene layers as ideal cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Enhanced composites of V₂O₅/Graphene with delicate structure were successfully designed and synthesized via a smart route. SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman spectra and XPS survey revealed the morphology and structure of V₂O₅/Graphene composites. The BET surface area and total BJH pore volume of V₂O₅/Graphene composites were much higher than these of bare V₂O₅ nanowires. Compared with bare V₂O₅ nanowires, the V₂O₅/Graphene composites exhibited improved electrochemical performance. It revealed a discharge capacity of 190.9 mA g⁻¹ in the third cycle and capacity retention of 96.6% after 150 cycles, whereas the bare V₂O₅ nanowires were 141.8 mA g⁻¹ and 76.5%, respectively. It was noteworthy that the strategy of position-fixing V₂O₅ nanowires on graphene sheets played a crucial role in the formation of the stable structure of composites. The achieved V₂O₅/Graphene composites effectively increased the electrical conductivity and electroactive sites, buffered the volume change and provided large contact area during the charge/discharge process. The proposed approach here to obtain composite in this work would render an effective way to improve the electrochemical performance of metal oxide for LIBs.