Electrochemical characteristics and structural changes of molybdenum trioxide hydrates as cathode materials for lithium batteries

Several characteristics of MoO3·2H2O and MoO3·H2O, such as thermal behaviour and conductivity and the electrochemical behaviour and structural changes associated with discharge and charge have been investigated. The suitability of these substances as new cathode materials for non-aqueous lithium batteries has been assessed. MoO3·H2O, having only one coordinated water molecule, showed a discharge capacity of about 400 Ah kg−1 of acid weight and a discharge potential around 2.5 V vs Li/Li+. This capacity was much higher than the 280 Ah kg−1 of anhydrous MoO3.MoO3·H2O showed good charge-discharge cyclic behaviour at a capacity below l e−/Mo while keeping the original layered lattice on cycling. In addition, the crystal system of MoO3·H2O was found to be changed from a monoclinic system to orthorhombic with lattice parameters ofa=0.5285 nm,b=1.0824 nm,c=0.5237 nm on discharge to 0.5 e−/Mo.