Ultrafine MoO3 nanoparticles embedded in porous carbon nanofibers as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Ultrafine MoO₃ nanoparticles uniformly embedded in porous carbon nanofiber (PCNF) anodes synthesized by electrospinning are comprehensively investigated. At a carbonization temperature of 750 °C, PMMA is decomposed to form a worm-like porous carbon matrix, and ultrafine MoO₃ nanoparticles (3–5 nm) are uniformly dispersed in carbon nanofibers. Electrochemical tests show that the optimized MoO₃/PCNF material displays excellent capacity of 795.8 mA h g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g⁻¹ and also shows excellent rate performance at a high current density. The excellent performance is observed because MoO₃ with ultrafine crystalline particles shortens the transmission path of Li⁺ and porous carbon nanofibers effectively relieve volume stress caused by Li⁺ insertion. This study presents a facile and cost-effective approach for the synthesis of high-performance electrode materials through nanostructuring and porous design.