The use of mild hydrothermal methods to synthesize vanadium oxides is reviewed, with particular emphasis on those with layer and 3-dimensional structures. A wide range of studies has been performed predominantly in the past decade to grow new materials that might have interesting electrochemical and magnetic properties. Most emphasis has been placed on vanadium oxides that contain organic species or simple cations such as the alkali metals, alkaline earths, zinc and copper. The key parameters determining the structures formed are reviewed, including pH and the organic structure-directing ion. Some initial electrochemical studies are described.

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Short segments of YBa2Cu3O7-y (YBCO) coated conductors were fabricated on rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrates (RABiTS) with a layer sequence of CeO2/YSZ/Ni using an ex situ BaF2 precursor process. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was used to deposit both YSZ and CeO2 layers. The YBCO films were grown using e-beam coevaporated Y–BaF2–Cu precursors followed by postannealing. An overall engineering current density, JE, of 28,000 A/cm2 and critical current, Ic, of 147 A/cm width at 77 K were achieved for a 1.6-μm-thick YBCO film. This result demonstrates the possibility of using both the ex situ BaF2 precursor approach and the RABiTS process for producing long lengths of high-JE coated conductors.

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Overview Applying SuperconductorsIn order for many large-scale bulk applications of high-temperature superconducting materials to be realized, the cost/performance of the superconductors needs to be optimized. From a performance standpoint, a long, flexible, single-crystal-like wire is required; from a cost-and-fabrication standpoint, an industrially scalable, low-cost process is required. Both of these critical requirements are met by rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrates, a conductor-fabrication technique that employs simple, scalable, thermomechanical processing techniques to obtain a near-single-crystal-like, flexible metal substrate in arbitrary lengths on which epitaxial oxide buffer layers and superconductors are then deposited.

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We have synthesized a new form of vanadium dioxide using the hydrothermal reaction of vanadium pentoxide and lithium hydroxide in the presence of an organic templating cation. The hydrated lithium vanadium oxide formed has the simplest layered structure of any vanadium oxide, containing only V05 square pyramids whose apices alternate up and down in the layer. The lithium may be removed by electrochemical delithiation. This new compound reversibly reacts with lithium and therefore may be used as the cathode in lithium batteries.