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

Copper vanadate oxides (CVOs) have a wide variety of crystalline phases such as CuV2O6, Cu3V2O8, Cu0.95V2O5, Cu0.4V2O5, 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 Cu4V2.15O9.38 superstructures assembled by single-crystalline rods. The results show that hexylamine was responsible for the generation of Cu4V2.15O9.38, and that the Cu4V2.15O9.38 superstructures were transformed from the intermediate Cu-3(OH)(2)V2O7 center dot 2H(2)O. Then, we studied the electrochemical properties of Cu4V2.15O9.38 superstructures in electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose and a primary lithiumion battery. The sensitivity of the modified electrode for detecting glucose was estimated to be 175.8 mu A 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.