Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Electronic Structure of Single-Crystalline CuxV2O5 Nanowires

Single-crystalline copper vanadium oxide nanowires beta'-CuxV2O5 (x similar to 0.60) have been synthesized by the hydrothermal reduction of bulk CuV2O6 using small-molecule aliphatic alcohols as reducing agents. The prepared copper vanadium bronze nanowires are metallic in nature and exhibit aspect ratios as high as 300. The recent discovery of superconductivity and charge disproportionation in bulk beta'-CuxV2O5 has led to renewed interest in these one-dimensional metallic systems. Scaling these systems to nanoscale dimensions offers the potential for further tunability of electronic transport and Li-ion intercalation kinetics. A combination of spectroscopic and electrical measurement methods has been used to provide evidence for the metallic nature and the presence of room-temperature charge disproportionation in these nanowires.