Influence of molybdenum trioxide thin film thickness on its electrochemical properties

Molybdenium trioxide (MoO3) thin films of one to ten coatings were obtained. The X-ray diffractograms of the xerogels revealed the formation of α-orthorhombic phase of MoO3 with index plane of 020 and crystallite size of 45 nm. The electrochemical reversibility upon Li+ intercalation/deintercalation was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, and the best anodic (Qa = 25 mC cm−2) and cathodic charge (Qc = 25.5 mC cm−2) ratio of 0.98 was obtained for the nine-layered film. This film changed 43% of its transmittance between blue and transparent states. SEM evidenced a grain structured film surface and 376 nm thickness of nine-layered MoO3 film, and the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) showed a dense morphology with roughness of 54 nm.