Superior lithium-ion storage of V-doped MoO3 nanosheets via plasma evaporation

Progress on two-dimensional binary oxide materials

Two-dimensional van der Waals (2D vdW) materials have attracted much attention because of their unique electronic and optical properties. Since the successful isolation of graphene in 2004, many interesting 2D materials have emerged, including elemental olefins (silicene, germanene, etc.), transition metal chalcogenides, transition metal carbides (nitrides), hexagonal boron, etc. On the other hand, 2D binary oxide materials are an important group in the 2D family owing to their high structural diversity, low cost, high stability, and strong adjustability. This review systematically summarizes the research progress on 2D binary oxide materials. We discuss their composition and structure in terms of vdW and non-vdW categories in detail, followed by a discussion of their synthesis methods. In particular, we focus on strategies to tailor the properties of 2D oxides and their emerging applications in different fields. Finally, the challenges and future developments of 2D binary oxides are provided.

Enhanced Jahn-Teller distortion boosts molybdenum trioxide's superior lithium ion storage capability

Upgrading the energy density and cycling life of current lithium ion batteries is urgently needed for developing advanced portable electronics and electric vehicles. Amorphous transition metal oxides (TMO) with inherent lattice disorders exhibit enormous potential as electrode materials owing to their high specific capacity, fast ion diffusion, and excellent cyclic stability. Yet, challenges remain in their controllable synthesis. In this study, the amorphous phase is induced into α-MoO₃ crystal nanobelts at room temperature with the aid of Jahn-Teller effect via enhanced lattice distortion triggered by the accumulation of low-valent molybdenum centers. The optimized HI-MoO₃-36 h exhibits high reversible capacities of 886.0 at 0.1 A g^-1 and 491.1 mA h g^-1 at 1.0 A g^-1, respectively, along with outstanding stability retaining 83.4% initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^-1. The crystal engineering strategy proposed in this work is believed to be a salutary reference towards the synthesis of high-performance TMO anodes for energy storage applications.