INTRODUCTIONNanostructured transition metal oxides have been extensively studied during the past few years. 1 Among them, vanadium oxide based compounds received significant attention, due to their structural flexibility combined with chemical and physical properties. They find a wide range of potential applications in high energy density lithium ion batteries, 2 catalysis, 3 electrochromic devices, 4 actuators, 5 and sensors. 6 Vanadium oxides exhibit a layered structure and are wellknown for their intercalation properties. A large variety of vanadium oxide based compounds have been described, in which cations, transition metal complexes, organic