Synthesis of MoO2 hierarchical peony-like microspheres without a template and their application in lithium ion batteries

Abstract

Three dimensional hierarchical structures constructed with low dimensional nanoscale building blocks have become a new research focus for lithium storage. Some hierarchical structured compounds, such as V₂O₅, Co₃O₄ and MoS₂ micro/nanoflowers, have been synthesized for energy storage applications. However, it still remains a challenge to fabricate well-designed hierarchical MoO₂ microflowers. This paper reports on a morphology-controlled synthesis of hierarchical peony-like MoO₂ microspheres as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. This hierarchical structure is fabricated via a simple template-free solvothermal method. The as-derived hierarchical MoO₂ microspheres exhibit high specific capacity, high capacity retention, and remarkable cycling stability, when evaluated as an anode material for LIBs.