Facile synthesis and characterisation of dandelion-like V2O3 core-shell microspheres

Dandelion-like V₂O₃ microspheres with core-shell structures have been successfully prepared by a facile hydrothermal method without using any surfactant and template. The as-synthesised product is characterised by various techniques like X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The core-shell microspheres have an average diameter of about 2 μm, where the shell, composed of numerous microrods with typical lengths of 1 μm which are radially oriented to the centre, has a thickness of about 150 nm. The results show that the morphology and size of the final products are significantly influenced by the reaction time. Furthermore, a possible two-step growth process is proposed for the formation of dandelion-like V₂O₃ microspheres.