Cathode materials with mixed phases of orthorhombic MoO3 and Li0.042MoO3 for lithium-ion batteries

MoO3 is a promising cathode candidate for lithium-ion batteries and its electronic conductivity is usually improved by MoO3lithiation via reaction of MoO3 with LiCl solutions. However, this process might increase the manufacturing complexity and result in surface breakage of MoO3 cathodes. In this paper, by introducing lithium source into MoO3 synthesis, MoO3 can be lithiated through introduction of the Li0.042MoO3 phase into the MoO3 structure. XRD and ICP results indicate that the phase composition and lithium content can be regulated by changing the amount of lithium source in the reaction solutions. FESEM and specific surface area measurements show that the particle size becomes more uniform and the surface area is increased when the degree of MoO3 lithiation is higher. The lithiated MoO3 sample shows better cycling performance than that of pristine MoO3, which is mainly due to the enhanced conductivity and increased surface area of the lithiated MoO3.