Organic acid assisted one-pot synthesis of highly oriented h-WO3 as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Hierarchical structures are assembled using various building blocks, which can enhance the features of both micromaterials and nanomaterials. Hierarchical cylindrical and bi-conic h-WO₃ architectures were synthesized via the hydrothermal method using organic acids. Both specific architectures were assembled from nanowire bundles with organic acids as bridging molecules, and the formation mechanism was proposed based on experimental observations. With this elaborately designed structure, the electrochemical performance was substantially improved due to the reduced diffusion lengths and enhanced kinetics. When investigated as electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, excellent electrochemical properties were exhibited and a high specific discharge capacity of 704.1 mAh g⁻¹ was maintained after 200 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹.