Electrochemical behavior of alpha-MoO3 nanorods as cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries

The electrochemical properties of alpha-MoO3 nanorods, which were synthesized via a solution-based method and following calcination, have been reported as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. Detailed lithium-insertion process of the material has been conducted by means of cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic method, and impedance technique, and superior features associated with the nanostructures have been observed. The alpha-MoO3 nanorods exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 271.8 mAh/g under a current density of 0.1 mA/cm2 in the range 1.0 approximately 3.0 V, which nearly approached the theoretical capacity 280 mAh/g. Comparison of the structural and electrochemical characteristics with those of bulk alpha-MoO3 suggests the enhanced electrochemical performance might be related to the rodlike structure and increased edge and corner effects.