Fabrication of NiO-NiMoO4/PPy microspheres as high-performance anode material for lithium-ion battery

In this work, the spherical NiO-NiMoO 4 composite was synthesized by solvothermal route followed by calcination, and then spherical NiO-NiMoO 4 /PPy composite was synthesized by in situ polymerization of pyrrole monomer. The NiO-NiMoO 4 and NiO-NiMoO 4 /PPy microspheres with a particle size of around 1–2 μm consist of nanorods and nanosheets. Hence, NiO-NiMoO 4 /PPy anode shows a higher delithiation and lithiation capacities than NiO-NiMoO 4 at each rate. At 0.2 A g −1 , NiO-NiMoO 4 only shows an initial delithiation capacity of ∼775 mAh g −1 , and the capacity only keeps 207 mAh g −1 after 160 cycles. Nonetheless, NiO/NiMoO 4 /PPy shows an initial delithiation capacity of ~ 884 mAh g −1 , and the capacity also maintains ~ 846 mAh g −1 even after 160 cycles. The corresponding capacity retention of NiO/NiMoO 4 /PPy and NiO/NiMoO 4 are 95.7% and 26.7%, respectively. The PPy modification is a direct and effective strategy to improve the reversible capacity and cycling performance of NiO-NiMoO 4 composite.