In-situ synthesis of Petal-like MoO2@MoN/NF heterojunction as both Advanced Binder-free Anode and Electrocatalyst for Lithium Ion Battery and Water Splitting

The design and synthesis of a heterostructure as well as binder-free electrodes or electrocatalysts with a porous nanostructure for enhancing electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries and water splitting are still significant challenges to scientists. Here, for the first time, an in-situ synthesis of the porous petal-like MoN nanolayer-coated MoO2 heterojunction (MoO2@MoN) on commercial nickel foam (NF) by a localized nitrided transformation method as both a binder-free electrode for LIBs and an electrocatalyst for water splitting was performed. The in-situ formation of the MoN nanolayer could create a MoO2@MoN heterostructure, therefore enhancing the electronic conductivity and the electron/ion transfer. The XRD and XPS measurements confirmed the wonderful reversibility of the MoN layer during lithiation/delithiation cycling, which effectively promoted the long-life cycling performance (1190.1 mA h g–1 after 500 cycles at the current density of 0.5 A g–1). Meanwhile, the MoO2@MoN/NF/LiFePO4 fu...