Structural Tailoring of V₂O₅ Thin Films via Solvent Additives in the Precursor Solution

Vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) thin films were synthesized using spray pyrolysis with three different solvent additives - methanol, acetone, and dimethylformamide (DMF) - in the precursor solution. The structural, molecular, and morphological properties of the films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Methanol-grown V₂O₅ thin films showed high crystallinity, and well-defined nanorods, while acetone and ethanol resulted in films with lower crystallinity and irregular nanostructures. DMF produced entirely amorphous films. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how solvent additives influence V2O5 film quality, particularly for gas sensing applications.