Hydrothermal synthesis of Cu3(OH)2V2O7·nH2O nanoparticles and its application in lithium ion battery

Well crystallized copper vanadium oxide hydroxide hydrate (Cu₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·nH₂O) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The composition of Cu₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·nH₂O was studied by thermal analysis (TG, DTA), which indicates that there are two molecules of water in a Cu₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·nH₂O molecular formula. Electrochemical properties of Cu₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·2H₂O nanoparticles as positive electrode of lithium ion battery were studied by conventional charge/discharge tests at different current density, showing steady initial discharge platforms near 1.7 V. The first discharge capacity of Cu₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·2H₂O electrode arrives at 868 and 845 mAh g⁻¹ at current density of 0.01 and 0.02 mA cm⁻², respectively.