Electrospinning In0.5Nb24.5O62 nanofibers as a novel anode host with superior lithium storage performance

Nb2O5 represents a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but its practical applications are currently hampered by its poor conductivity of niobium-based oxides during the charge-discharge process. Herein, In0.5Nb24.5O62 nanofibers with good electrochemical performance were prepared by a simple electrospinning process for the first time in this work. The doping of indium endows the material with good structural stability and high apparent lithium-ion diffusion rate. The morphology is composed of nanostructured In0.5Nb24.5O62 crosslinked nanofibers. XRD results show that In0.5Nb24.5O62 calcined at 800 °C are consistent with the orthorhombic Nb2O5 phase, while the samples calcined above 800 °C present the monoclinic structure. The charge capacity of In0.5Nb24.5O62 can achieve 170 mAh g-1 at 20 C and remains 90% after 200 cycles. This work provides insights into the design and optimization of a high-capacity and high-power Nb2O5 anode material and focuses on research toward the crystalline structure analyses, electrochemical reaction mechanisms, and modification strategies.