Layered structure of vanadium pentoxide gels

This paper gives evidence for a layered structure of vanadium pentoxide gels, analogous to that of montmorillonites. In such a gel, V2O5 layers are formed by cross-linked fibers and separated by water molecules. The interlayer spacing depends on the water content. It discontinuously decreases by steps of 2.8 Å when water is removed. Interlayer spacings of 11.55 Å and 8.75 Å have been measured for V2O5, 1.6 H2O and V2O5, 0.5 H2O respectively. The structure of the fibers themselves is not modified during the swelling process and can be presumably related to the lamellar structure of orthorhombic vanadium pentoxide.