Fabrication and electrochemical properties of porous VN hollow nanofibers

Porous vanadium nitride (VN) hollow fibers are successfully synthesized using low-cost starting materials by electrospinning combined with subsequent annealing. In this approach, precursor composite fibers are initially synthesized in an electrospinning precursor solution and then calcined at high temperature levels and an appropriate heating rate to form V 2 O 5 hollow fibers. In the subsequent annealing under NH 3 atmosphere, V 2 O 5 hollow fibers act as a template for VN hollow fibers. The as-made VN hollow fibers retain their 1D texture, and their side walls consist of numerous porous nanoparticles . The electrochemical performance of VN hollow nanofibers is investigated, and the specific capacitance is 115 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g in 2 M KOH electrolyte. Meanwhile VN hollow fibers display typical pseudocapacitance properties. The capacitance fade of VN hollow nanofibers during cycling is also studied.