Target encapsulating NiMoO4 nanocrystals into 1D carbon nanofibers as free-standing anode material for lithium-ion batteries with enhanced cycle performance

Abstract

Recently, NiMoO4 has attracted much interest because of its high theoretical capacity and redox activity as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its applications are limited by its poor cycling stability and rate performance. In this paper, NiMoO4 nanofibers (NiMoO4-NFs) were fabricated via scalable electrospinning technique. The prepared NiMoO4-NFs were directly used as electrode materials without any current collector. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the NiMoO4-NFs exhibited desired electrochemical performance including high reversible capacity (892.7 mA h g−1), superior long-term cycle stability and rate capacity (511 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 500 cycles). The electrochemical reaction mechanism was explored by using ex situ transmission electron microscopy. A two-phase reaction process was confirmed in the electrochemical reaction. The desired electrochemical properties made NiMoO4-NFs appropriate for the next generation of LIBs.