Vanadium(V) oxide
# Vanadium(V) oxide

Vanadium(V) oxide (vanadia) is the inorganic compound with the formula $V_2O_5.$ Commonly known as vanadium pentoxide, it is a brown/yellow solid, although when freshly precipitated from aqueous solution, its colour is deep orange. Because of its high oxidation state, it is both an amphoteric oxide and an oxidizing agent. From the industrial perspective, it is the most important compound of vanadium, being the principal precursor to alloys of vanadium and is a widely used industrial catalyst.

The mineral form of this compound, shcherbinaite, is extremely rare, almost always found among fumaroles. A mineral trihydrate, $V_2O_5·3H_2O,$ is also known under the name of navajoite.

## Chemical properties

### Reduction to lower oxides

Upon heating a mixture of vanadium(V) oxide and vanadium(III) oxide, comproportionation occurs to give vanadium(IV) oxide, as a deep-blue solid:

    $V_2O_5$ + $V_2O_3$ → 4 $VO_2$

The reduction can also be effected by oxalic acid, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. Further reduction using hydrogen or excess CO can lead to complex mixtures of oxides such as $V_4O_7$ and $V_5O_9$ before black $V_2O_3$ is reached.

### Acid-base reactions

$V_2O_5$ is an amphoteric oxide. Unlike most transition metal oxides, it dissolves slightly in water to give a pale yellow, acidic solution. Thus $V_2O_5$ reacts with strong non-reducing acids to form solutions containing the pale yellow salts containing dioxovanadium(V) centers:

    $V_2O_5$ + 2 $HNO_3$ → 2 $VO_2(NO_3)$ + $H_2O$

It also reacts with strong alkali to form polyoxovanadates, which have a complex structure that depends on pH. If excess aqueous sodium hydroxide is used, the product is a colourless salt, sodium orthovanadate, $Na_3VO_4.$ If acid is slowly added to a solution of $Na_3VO_4,$ the colour gradually deepens through orange to red before brown hydrated $V_2O_5$ precipitates around pH 2. These solutions contain mainly the ions $HVO_4^{2−}$ and $V_2O_7^{4−}$ between pH 9 and pH 13, but below pH 9 more exotic species such as $V_4O_{12}^{4−}$ and $HV_{10}O_{28}^{5−}$ (decavanadate) predominate.

Upon treatment with thionyl chloride, it converts to the volatile liquid vanadium oxychloride, $VOCl_3:$

    $V_2O_5$ + 3 $SOCl_2$ → 2 $VOCl_3$ + 3 $SO_2$

### Other redox reactions

Hydrochloric acid and hydrobromic acid are oxidised to the corresponding halogen, e.g.,

    $V_2O_5$ + 6HCl + $7H_2O$ → $2[VO(H_2O)_5]^{2+}$ + $4Cl^−$ + $Cl_2$

Vanadates or vanadyl compounds in acid solution are reduced by zinc amalgam through the colourful pathway:

The ions are all hydrated to varying degrees.

## Preparation

Technical grade $V_2O_5$ is produced as a black powder used for the production of vanadium metal and ferrovanadium. A vanadium ore or vanadium-rich residue is treated with sodium carbonate and an ammonium salt to produce sodium metavanadate, $NaVO_3.$ This material is then acidified to pH 2–3 using $H_2SO_4$ to yield a precipitate of "red cake" (see above). The red cake is then melted at 690 °C to produce the crude $V_2O_5.$

Vanadium(V) oxide is produced when vanadium metal is heated with excess oxygen, but this product is contaminated with other, lower oxides. A more satisfactory laboratory preparation involves the decomposition of ammonium metavanadate at 500–550 °C:

    2 $NH_4VO_3$ → $V_2O_5$ + 2 $NH_3$ + $H_2O$

## Uses

### Ferrovanadium production

In terms of quantity, the dominant use for vanadium(V) oxide is in the production of ferrovanadium (see above). The oxide is heated with scrap iron and ferrosilicon, with lime added to form a calcium silicate slag. Aluminium may also be used, producing the iron-vanadium alloy along with alumina as a byproduct.

### Sulfuric acid production

Another important use of vanadium(V) oxide is in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, an important industrial chemical with an annual worldwide production of 165 million tonnes in 2001, with an approximate value of US$8 billion. Vanadium(V) oxide serves the crucial purpose of catalysing the mildly exothermic oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide by air in the contact process:

    2 $SO_2$ + $O_2$ ⇌ 2 $SO_3$

The discovery of this simple reaction, for which $V_2O_5$ is the most effective catalyst, allowed sulfuric acid to become the cheap commodity chemical it is today. The reaction is performed between 400 and 620 °C; below 400 °C the $V_2O_5$ is inactive as a catalyst, and above 620 °C it begins to break down. Since it is known that $V_2O_5$ can be reduced to $VO_2$ by $SO_2,$ one likely catalytic cycle is as follows:

    $SO_2$ + $V_2O_5$ → $SO_3$ + $2VO_2$

followed by

    $2VO_2$ $+½O_2$ → $V_2O_5$

It is also used as catalyst in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of $NO_x$ emissions in some power plants and diesel engines. Due to its effectiveness in converting sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide, and thereby sulfuric acid, special care must be taken with the operating temperatures and placement of a power plant's SCR unit when firing sulfur-containing fuels.

### Other oxidations

Maleic anhydride is produced by the $V_2O_5-catalysed$ oxidation of butane with air:

    $C_4H_{10}$ + 4 $O_2$ → $C_2H_2(CO)_2O$ + 8 $H_2O$

Maleic anhydride is used for the production of polyester resins and alkyd resins.

Phthalic anhydride is produced similarly by $V_2O_5-catalysed$ oxidation of ortho-xylene or naphthalene at 350–400 °C. The equation for the vanadium oxide-catalysed oxidation of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride:

    $C_6H_4(CH_3)_2$ + 3 $O_2$ → $C_6H_4(CO)_2O$ + 3 $H_2O$

The equation for the vanadium oxide-catalysed oxidation of naphthalene to phthalic anhydride:

    $C_{10}H_8$ + 4½ $O_2$ → $C_6H_4(CO)_2O$ + $2CO_2$ + $2H_2O$

Phthalic anhydride is a precursor to plasticisers, used for conferring pliability to polymers.

A variety of other industrial compounds are produced similarly, including adipic acid, acrylic acid, oxalic acid, and anthraquinone.

### Other applications

Due to its high coefficient of thermal resistance, vanadium(V) oxide finds use as a detector material in bolometers and microbolometer arrays for thermal imaging. It also finds application as an ethanol sensor in ppm levels (up to 0.1 ppm).

Vanadium redox batteries are a type of flow battery used for energy storage, including large power facilities such as wind farms. Vanadium oxide is also used as a cathode in lithium ion batteries.

## Biological activity

Vanadium(V) oxide exhibits very modest acute toxicity to humans, with an LD50 of about 470 mg/kg. The greater hazard is with inhalation of the dust, where the LD50 ranges from 4–11 mg/kg for a 14-day exposure. Vanadate $(VO^{3−}$ $_4),$ formed by hydrolysis of $V_2O_5$ at high pH, appears to inhibit enzymes that process phosphate $(PO_4^{3−}).$ However the mode of action remains elusive.

