Composite Film Cathodes of Nanobeam V2O5 and Conductive Polymer for Lithium Batteries

Abstract

Flexible composite films of nanobeam V2O5 and conductive polymer have been grown using the facile electrochemical polymerization method, which involves the application of anodic polymerization potential to the substrate electrode with the dispersed nanobeam V2O5 in solutions containing monomer pyrrole or EDOT. For the case of pyrrole: V2O5 nanobeams can be thoroughly coated with polypyrrole, by taking advantage of the oxidative catalytic action of V2O5 in pyrrole polymerization. For the case of EDOT: since the advantage of V2O5 oxidative catalytic action is not applicable to PEDOT, it had been copolymerized with a surfactant p-TSA to achieve thorough and smooth coating of V2O5 nanobeams. Thus produced conductive polymers have shown to connect the isolated V2O5 nanobeam structures and provide valid electrical conductive networks for the cathode electrodes. These polymers enhanced the accessibility and diffusability of Li+ ions, thereby enabled V2O5/PPy and V2O5/PEDOT nanobeam composite film cathodes to have excellent cycling stability.