Promising applications of vanadium-based materials

Although vanadium might not appear often in popular discussions on emerging technologies, it is a valued material for a range of promising applications. Owing to their valence state diversity, which confers a high degree of tunability, two-dimensional and layered forms of vanadium have gained increased research interest in the fields of energy, computing, and biomedicine.

Working in collaboration with a leading vanadium producer and operating at the world’s largest ore base for vanadium-titanium magnetite, a review by Ni et al. noted the importance of vanadium to technological development. A better utilization of vanadium not only reaps economic value for enterprises but also ensures the sustainability of modern societies moving with increasingly complex challenges.

“As an important branch of 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide materials, 2D vanadium compounds exhibit significant practical and potential applications in catalysis, energy storage and conversion, smart materials, and sustainable development,” said author Wei Ni. “These materials have aroused high attention from both academia and industry.”

The authors also described perspectives and future trends, identifying challenges in enabling large-scale commercialization. A major area for improvement lies in the development of greener and more efficient solvents for top-down synthesis. Moreover, advanced doping, hybridization, and composite formation are expected to introduce novel synergies that promote scientific breakthroughs.

For example, vanadium disulfide’s expanded interlayer spacing can be effectively utilized for accommodating ion insertion, making it more suitable for advanced alkali-ion batteries compared to traditional graphite and alloys.

“The development of low-cost and readily accessible synthetic strategies for the preparation of 2D vanadium-based compounds or materials with controllable composition, structure, dimensions/size, and extraordinary performance — together with the active exploration of their competitive and reliable applications — will represent a major future trend,” said Ni.

Source: “Two-dimensional vanadium compounds inspiring emerging smart applications,” by Wei Ni, Shifang Li, Wenxiu Yang, and Ling-Ying Shi, Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A (2026). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0005292 .

This paper is part of the Synthesis and Processing of 2D Materials Collection, learn more here .