Amorphous vanadium pentoxide

Structure and semiconducting properties of amorphous vanadium pentoxide obtained by splat cooling have been studied. Long-range order appears suddenly when the oxide is heated to about 200°C. The short-range order of the glass seems to be almost identical to that encountered in orthorhombic V₂O₅. ESR spectra are typical of localized electrons, they show that the electronic mobility is lower in the amorphous state. The hopping frequency of the unpaired 3d electron from a V⁴⁺ to a V⁵⁺ ion increases when long-range order is established. This phenomenon is related to the electrical resistivity which is about one order of magnitude higher in the glass.