V₂O₅Hollow Nanospheres: A Lithium Intercalation Host with Good Rate Capability and Capacity Retention

V 2 O 5 hollow nanospheres of average diameter ca. ∼28 nm and hollow cavity size ca. 18 nm were prepared by using polymeric micelles as a soft template. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyzes have confirmed the hollow spherical morphology with crystalline shell structure. The V 2 O 5 hollow particles were investigated as cathode materials for lithium intercalation in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). The nanostructured electrode delivers a high capacity of 181 mAhg −1 with capacity retention of 92.6% after 50 cycles of charge/discharge at a rate of 0.5 C. Interestingly, the hollow particles based electrodes maintain the structural integrity even after subjecting to high current density 2000 Ag −1 (10 C) and show good cycling performance and electrode stability. The enhanced electrochemical behavior is attributed to nanosize effect coupled with hollow void space of V 2 O 5 hollow particles that facilitates fast lithium intercalation/deintercalation.