Highly stable and crystalline V2O5 nanoparticles with an average diameter of 15 nm have been easily prepared by thermal treatment of a bariandite-like vanadium oxide, V10O24 center dot 9H(2)O. Their characterization was carried out by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fibrous and nanostructured film obtained by electrophoretic deposition of the V2O5 nanoparticles showed good electroactivity when submitted to cyclic voltammetry in an ionic liquid-based electrolyte. The use of this film for the preparation of a nanostructured electrode led to an improvement of about 50% in discharge capacity values when compared with similar electrodes obtained by casting of a V2O5 xerogel. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.