Ultra-long BiNbO4 nanowires with hierarchical architecture exhibiting reversible lithium storage

With the development of science and technology, lithium ion batteries have become a representative of modern high-performance batteries due to their excellent performance. In this work, BiNbO 4 with the nanowire morphology is fabricated by a simple electrospinning method on a stainless steel mesh cage collector. Here, we demonstrate that the BiNbO 4 nanowires display a reversible capacity of 165 mAh g −1 and remarkable cycling stability at a current density of 50 mA g −1 . When cycled at 700 mA g −1 , BiNbO 4 nanowires can maintain the capacity retention of 60% after 700 cycles, revealing better cycling properties than other Bi-based anode materials. In addition, in-situ X-ray diffraction analysis suggests that BiNbO 4 nanowires have good electrochemical reversibility. BiNbO 4 is transformed into Bi nanocrystallites and Li 3 NbO 4 during the first discharge process. With the continuation of the discharge, active Bi nanocrystallites react with lithium ions to form Li 3 Bi alloys. This is a reversible process that provides reversible capacity as the reaction proceeds.