α-MoO3 Hollow Nanospheres as an Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Abstract α-MoO3 hollow nanospheres have been synthesized using a soft template of polymeric micelles with core–shell–corona architecture. Poly(styrene-block-[3-(methacryloylamino)propyl]trimethylammonium chloride-block-ethylene oxide) micelles (PS–PMAPTAC–PEO) with cationic shell block effectively produce core/shell composite particles through electrostatic interaction with anionic MoO42− precursor. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of α-MoO3 have confirmed the hollow structure with an average outer diameter of 42 ± 2; the hollow cavity diameter was found to be 23 ± 1 nm. The molybdenum trioxide hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode materials for lithium intercalation in a Li-ion battery (LIBs). The nanostructured electrode delivers high discharge capacity of 263 mA h g−1 for the first cycle at a rate of 0.3 C. The capacity retention of MoO3 hollow nanospheres is 2.2 times higher than that of dense MoO3 particles. Interestingly, the hollow particle based electrodes maintain structural integrity even after subjecting to a high current density 2000 mA g−1 (10 C) and show good electrode stability vis-à-vis cycling performance. The enhanced electrochemical behavior is attributed to hollow particles with thin shell domain that facilitates fast lithium diffusion kinetics.