V2O3/rGO composite as a potential anode material for lithium ion batteries

V 2 O 3 is a promising anode material and has attracted the interests of researchers because of its high theoretical capacity of 1070 mAh g −1 , low discharge potential, inexpensiveness, abundant sources, and environmental friendliness. However, the development and application of V 2 O 3 have been hindered by the low conductivity and drastic volume change of V 2 O 3 composites. In this work, V 2 O 3 /reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites are successfully prepared through a facile solvothermal method and annealing process. In this synthesis protocol, V 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) are encapsulated by rGO. This unique structure enables rGO to inhibit volume changes and improve the ion and electronic conductivity of V 2 O 3 . In addition, V 2 O 3 NPs, which exhibit sizes of 5–40 nm, are uniformly dispersed on rGO sheets without aggregation. The Li + storage behavior of V 2 O 3 /rGO is systematically investigated in the potential range 0.01–3.0 V. The V 2 O 3 /rGO nanocomposite can achieve a high reversible specific capacity of 823.4 mAh g −1 under the current density of 0.1 A g −1 , and 407.3 mAh g −1 under the high current density of 4.0 A g −1 . The results of this study provide insight into the fabrication of rGO-based functional materials with extensive applications.