MorphÒlogy and Properties of Vanadium Oxide Xerogels and Aerogels

The high redox potential and ion insertion properties of vanadium pentoxide have made this material a viable cathode for secondary lithium batteries. The use of sol-gel methods to synthesize vanadium pentoxide and other transition metal oxides has been well studied as the technique represents a relatively simple approach for preparing thin films and powders. Although it is well known that sol-gel processing may be used to prepare high surface area aerogels, the research on transition metal oxides has been largely limited to xerogels. The present paper compares the properties, structures and morphologies of vanadate xerogels and aerogels.