Walnut-like MoO₂ with interconnected skeleton and opened muti-channel for fast sodium storage

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Molybdenum dioxide (MoO₂) is a promising anode material for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity and conductivity.
• However, slow kinetics in bulk MoO₂ hinder its practical application in SIBs.
• The reversible conversion reaction in MoO₂ contributes significantly to its theoretical capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a novel MoO₂ architecture to overcome the kinetic limitations of bulk MoO₂.
• To enhance the sodium ion diffusion and electron transport within the anode material.
• To improve the overall sodium storage performance of MoO₂ for SIB applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a walnut-like MoO₂ architecture (W-MoO₂) using a tube furnace.
• Characterization of the W-MoO₂ structure to confirm its multi-channel and interconnected nature.
• Electrochemical testing of the W-MoO₂ anode in sodium ion batteries.

Main Results:

• The prepared W-MoO₂ exhibits an interconnected ion/electron dual-pathway.
• This architecture effectively facilitates Na⁺ diffusion and reduces cell internal resistance.
• The W-MoO₂ anode achieved a high reversible sodium storage capacity of 354.7 mA h g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1.

Conclusions:

• The walnut-like MoO₂ architecture successfully addresses the kinetic limitations of bulk MoO₂.
• The enhanced ion and electron transport pathways lead to superior sodium storage performance.
• This study presents a viable strategy for developing advanced anode materials for high-performance SIBs.