Frontiers in Chemistry (Feb 2022)

Architecting Hierarchical WO3 Agglomerates Assembled With Straight and Parallel Aligned Nanoribbons Enabling High Capacity and Robust Stability of Lithium Storage

  • Xiaotong Dong,
  • Yongshuai Liu,
  • Shikai Zhu,
  • Yike Ou,
  • Xiaoyu Zhang,
  • Wenhao Lan,
  • Haotian Guo,
  • Cunliang Zhang,
  • Zhaoguo Liu,
  • Shuai Ju,
  • Yuan Miao,
  • Yongcheng Zhang,
  • Hongsen Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2021.834418
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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The pursuit of electrochemical energy storage has led to a pressing need on materials with high capacities and energy densities; however, further progress is plagued by the restrictive capacity (372 mAh g−1) of conventional graphite materials. Tungsten trioxide (WO3)-based anodes feature high theoretical capacity (693 mAh g−1), suitable potential, and affordable cost, arousing ever-increasing attention and intense efforts. Nonetheless, developing high-performance WO3 electrodes that accommodate lithium ions remains a daunting challenge on account of sluggish kinetics characteristics and large volume strain. Herein, the well-designed hierarchical WO3 agglomerates assembled with straight and parallel aligned nanoribbons are fabricated and evaluated as an anode of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which exhibits an ultra-high capacity and excellent rate capability. At a current density of 1,000 mA g−1, a reversible capacity as high as 522.7 mAh g−1 can be maintained after 800 cycles, corresponding to a high capacity retention of ∼80%, demonstrating an exceptional long-durability cyclic performance. Furthermore, the mechanistic studies on the lithium storage processes of WO3 are probed, providing a foundation for further optimizations and rational designs. These results indicate that the well-designed hierarchical WO3 agglomerates display great potential for applications in the field of high-performance LIBs.

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