Designing a facile low cost synthesis strategy for the Na-V-S-O systems, NaV(SO4)2, Na3V(SO4)3 and Na2VO(SO4)2

Alkali metal transition metal sulfates have attracted considerable interest as potential electrodes for Na ion battery materials. While there has been significant research on Fe based systems, research on V based systems has been lacking, apart from a recent report on Na2VO(SO4)2. This can be related to the complex synthetic routes previously reported to make sodium vanadium sulfate systems. In this paper, we report a simple route towards the synthesis of three such sodium vanadium sulfate systems, NaV(SO4)2, Na2VO(SO4)2, and Na3V(SO4)3. We analyse the resulting products through X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy to highlight the formation of high quality samples via this simple solution route, with subsequent low temperature (<400 °C) heat treatment. This facile new route will allow these materials to be considered for future applications rather than as simply chemical curiosities.