Vacuum Topotactic Conversion Route to Mesoporous Orthorhombic MoO3 Nanowire Bundles with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance

Abstract

The growth of mesoporous bundles composed of orthorhombic MoO3 nanowires with diameters ranging from 10 to 30 nm and lengths of up to 2 μm by topotactic chemical transformation from triclinic α-MoO3·H2O nanorods under vacuum condition at 260 °C is achieved. During the process of vacuum topotactic transformation, the nanorod frameworks of the precursor α-MoO3·H2O can be preserved. The crystal structures, molecular structures, morphologies, and growth behavior of the precursory, intermediate and final products are characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). Detailed studies of the mechanism of the mesoporous MoO3 nanowire bundles formation indicate topotactic nucleation and oriented growth of the well-organized orthorhombic MoO3 nanowires inside the nanorod frameworks. MoO3 nanocrystals prefer [001] epitaxial growth direction of triclinic α-MoO3·H2O nanorods...