Atomic Mo-NC-sourced robust MoO3/C nanocomposite for high-performance Li-ion storage

Molybdenum oxide (MoO3) is an attractive anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); however, its low electrical conductivity, large volume expansion after lithiation, and slow Li-ion diffusion kinetics severely limit its practical applications. Here, ultrafine MoO3 nanoparticles (NPs) (10-15 nm) are synthesized from heavily Mo/N-doped carbonaceous precursors, resulting in MoO3 NPs confined in an N-doped carbon network. This design allows fast electron conduction and short Li-ion diffusion paths; meanwhile, abundant N species and O vacancies on the MoO3 surface lower the Li-ion adsorption barrier and together contribute to the durable Li-ion storage at high current rates. Notably, the obtained nanocomposite NC-MoO3 exhibits a high capacity of 1362 mA h g(-1) (0.1 A g(-1)) and maintains a reversible capacity of 394 mA h g(-1) at 10.0 A g(-1). A coin-type full LiFePO4//NC-MoO3-400 cell obtains a large specific capacity of 81 mA h g(-1) at 5 C. Our work inspires the design and confinement synthesis of other transition metal oxides embedded in conducting carbon networks for practical LIB applications.

Automated summary

Molybdenum oxide (MoO3) is an attractive anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its practical applications are severely limited due to low electrical conductivity, large volume expansion, and slow Li-ion diffusion kinetics. In this study, ultrafine MoO3 nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized from heavily Mo/N-doped carbonaceous precursors, resulting in MoO3 NPs confined in an N-doped carbon network. This design allows fast electron conduction, short Li-ion diffusion paths, and durable Li-ion storage at high current rates. The results demonstrate the potential of transition metal oxides embedded in conducting carbon networks for practical LIB applications.