SYNTHESIS OF A METASTABLE VANADIUM PENTOXIDE AS A CATHODE MATERIAL FOR ION BATTERIES

A highly scalable process has been developed for stabilizing large quantities of the zeta-polymorph of VO, a metastable kinetically trapped phase, with high compositional and phase purity. The process utilizes a beta-CuxVOprecursor which is synthetized from solution using all-soluble precursors. The copper can be leached from this structure by a room temperature post-synthetic route to stabilize an empty tunnel framework entirely devoid of intercalating cations. The metastable ζ-VOthus stabilized can be used as a monovalent—(Li, Na) or multivalent—(Mg, Ca, Al) ion battery cathode material.