Vapor-transportation preparation and reversible lithium intercalation/deintercalation of alpha-MoO3 microrods

We report on the preparation and electrochemical application of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries of alpha-MoO3 microrods. A simple and efficient vapor-transportation approach was developed to yield large-scale alpha-MoO3 microrods. The as-prepared products were present in long, uniform, rodlike structures with a diameter of approximately 2 approximately 6 microm, and the proportion of the rod morphology was about 95% according to the analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical lithium intercalation/deintercalation characteristic of the as-prepared microrods was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and a galvanostatic charge-discharge method. The results showed that the alpha-MoO3 microrods exhibited high capacity (225 mAh g(-1)) and excellent cycling reversibility, and are thus promising cathode candidates in advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The correlation between the specific structural features of the microrods and their superior electrode performance is discussed in detail, revealing that the unique rodlike structure plays an important role in optimizing the electrochemical performance of the electrode.