Study Synthesis of Vanadium Oxide Nanotubes with two template hexadecylamin and hexylamine

Lately there has been much interest in synthesizing characterizing new vanadium oxide host/ guest compounds. These compounds have open structures and the ability to intercalate atoms or molecules.They may be used as catalysts, molecular sieves, absorbents and energy storage devices.Vanadium oxide nanotube (VOX-NT) is a new type of nanotublar material which open new horizons for application in many areas. The important catalytic and electrochemical property of vanadium oxide as well as the unique shape of the nanotubes has been the impetus for studying this novel type of nanostructured material.In this research, vanadium oxide nanotubes had been synthesized via gelation of V2O5 and ethanol as solvent followed by hydrothermal treatment for one (1) to seven (7) days at 180ºC. The main objective of the study is to produce good quality VOX-NTS at a fastest synthesis time. Two template materials were studied: hexadecylamin and hexylamine. The products obtained were characterized for its morphology and structure in the nanotubes using SEM, TEM, XRD. TG and FTIR analyses were also used. As exposed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images, well-developed vanadium oxide nanotubes using hexadecylamine template can be obtained even with just two days duration of hydrothermal treatment, the shortest time achieved yet and reported for the synthesis of VOx. X- ray diffraction patterns showed the low angle reflection peaks which are characteristic for the well-ordered layered structure of the nanotubes. TEM and SEM images also, interestingly, revealed and verified the speculated rolling-up formation mechanism of the vanadium oxide nanotubes. Hence, in this research study, the gelation of the V2O5 and the used of ethanol as a solvent instead of acetone had circumvented the problem of longer duration time of hydrothermal treatment leading to a fast synthesis of VOX-NTS.

Vanadium Oxide, Nanotubes, Ultrasonics, Hydrothermal, hexadecylamine, hexylamine