Carbon-coated MoO3 nanobelts as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

MoO3 nanobelts are synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route followed by carbon coating. The effects of the carbon coating on the nanobelts are investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and galvanostatic cycling. As observed from the TEM and SEM images, the C–MoO3 nanobelts have a diameter of 150 nm and a length of 5–8 μm. In the electrochemical results, the C–MoO3 nanobelts exhibit excellent cycling stability after being cycled at a current rate of 0.1 C, maintaining their capacity at 1064 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles. These results are better than those for a bare MoO3 nanobelt electrode. The excellent electrochemical performance of the C–MoO3 nanobelts can be attributed to the effects of the carbon coating which stabilizes the structure of the MoO3, enhances the ionic/electrical conductivity, and moreover, can serve as a buffering agent to absorb the volume expansion during the Li+ intercalation process.