Ultralong monoclinic ZnV2O6 nanowires: their shape-controlled synthesis, new growth mechanism, and highly reversible lithium storage in lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, we report on the shape-controlled synthesis of monoclinic (m-) ZnV2O6 micro/nanostructures through a simple hydrothermal approach and their highly reversible lithium storage for anode materials in lithium-ion batteries. m-ZnV2O6 structures with different diameters were selectively explored by changing the critical experimental parameters of dwell time and reaction temperatures. A novel "dissolution recrystalizaion–Ostwald ripening–splitting" combination mechanism for uniform nanowires is proposed by further monitoring the time-dependent evolution of morphologies and phases. Furthermore, these m-ZnV2O6 nanowires with high aspect ratio exhibit a better reversible capacity and a much excellent cyclic retention than that of as-obtained mesostructures and bulk counterparts because of better contact behavior and a shorter diffusion length for Li+, implying a promising candidate for the application in high-energy batteries.