Hierarchical Cu4V2.15O9.38 superstructures assembled by single-crystalline rods: their synthesis, characteristics and electrochemical properties

Abstract

Copper vanadate oxides (CVOs) have a wide variety of crystalline phases such as CuV₂O₆, Cu₃V₂O₈, Cu_0.95V₂O₅, Cu_0.4V₂O₅, Cu₂V₂O₇ and so on, and CVOs have been used as catalysts and battery materials. Here, for the first time, we present a new hexylamine-assisted method to prepare hierarchical Cu₄V_2.15O_9.38 superstructures assembled by single-crystalline rods. The results show that hexylamine was responsible for the generation of Cu₄V_2.15O_9.38, and that the Cu₄V_2.15O_9.38 superstructures were transformed from the intermediate Cu₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·2H₂O. Then, we studied the electrochemical properties of Cu₄V_2.15O_9.38 superstructures in electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose and a primary lithium-ion battery. The sensitivity of the modified electrode for detecting glucose was estimated to be 175.8 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², and the detection range was from 0 to 3 mM, and the detection limit was less than 0.1 mM. The superstructures showed a large discharge capacity of 301 mA h g⁻¹ at 5 mA g⁻¹, thus making it an interesting candidate for primary lithium-ion batteries.