3D graphene supported MoO₂ for high performance binder-free lithium ion battery

In this work, we report the synthesis of MoO₂ nanoparticles grown on three dimensional graphene (3DG) via the reduction of α-MoO ₃ nanobelts through a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach under argon protection gas environment. In this synthesis approach, the presence of hydrophobic 3DG promoted the Volmer-Weber growth of MoO₂ nanoparticles (30-60 nm). The as-prepared MoO₂-3DG nanocomposite was directly used as a binder-free anode electrode for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) without additives and exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. It delivered high reversible capacities of 975.4 mA h g^-1 and 537.3 mA h g^-1 at the current densities of 50 and 1000 mA g^-1, respectively. Moreover, the electrode also showed an increased capacity from 763.7 mA h g^-1 to 986.9 mA h g^-1 after 150 discharge and charge cycles at a current density of 200 mA g^-1. The enhanced electrochemical performance of MoO₂-3DG nanocomposite electrode may be attributed to the synergistic effects of MoO₂ nanoparticles and 3DG layers. This facile CVD synthesis process presents a feasible route for large-scale production of high performance, environmentally friendly electrode. In addition, this process also has the potential of being utilized in other materials for energy storage devices application.