Controllable synthesis of hexagonal WO₃nanostructures and their application in lithium batteries

Abstract

Novel hexagonal WO(3) (h-WO(3)) nanorods have been successfully prepared on a large scale by a simple hydrothermal method by adding Na(2)SO(4). Uniform nanorods with diameters of 100-200 nm and lengths of up to several micrometres are obtained. The morphology evolvement and the growth mechanism were studied carefully with different quantities of Na(2)SO(4). Different experimental parameters can lead to different structures and morphologies of the final products in our experiment. The current understanding of the growth mechanism of these nanostructures potentially provides important information about the structure design and morphology-controlled synthesis of WO(3) and other oxides. The electrochemical performances of the as-prepared h-WO(3) nanowires as anode materials of Li-ion batteries have also been investigated. These batteries have a discharge capacity of 215mA h g(-1) at the initial cycles and show an extreme capacity retention. The results imply that these h-WO(3) nanorods are promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries.