We report on the synthesis of submicron
Li1+x
V3O8 fibers
through a facile mixed ethanol/water
solution-mediated solvothermal route in the absence of surfactants.
All the raw materials used are commercially available, relatively
inexpensive, and low-toxic, and these can be handled in an ambient
atmosphere, rendering this synthetic route as reasonably facile and
efficient. To ensure a desirable and acceptable sample crystallinity
and purity, we introduced a postannealing treatment at 500 °C.
The monoclinic phase formation of the fiber sample was probed in detail
using a series of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy,
transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and
selected area electron diffraction measurements. Both morphology and
chemical composition could be carefully and systematically tuned in
terms of generating a class of novel, pure, and well-defined motifs
of Li1+x
V3O8. A
plausible mechanism for the formation of submicron-diameter fibers
has been discussed in addition to the expected phase transformation
within our Li-V-O materials. Our comprehensive study should provide
for needed fundamental insights into putting forth a viable synthesis
strategy for the generation of well-defined morphological variants
of layered oxide materials for battery applications.