Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon-Encapsulated MoO₂ Nanobelts as a High-Capacity and Stable Host for Lithium-Ion Storage

N-doped mesoporous carbon-capped MoO₂ nanobelts (designated as MoO₂ @NC) were synthesized and applied to lithium-ion storage. Owing to the stable core-shell structural framework and conductive mesoporous carbon matrix, the as-prepared MoO₂ @NC shows a high specific capacity of around 700 mA h g^-1 at a current of 0.5 A g^-1 , excellent cycling stability up to 100 cycles, and superior rate performance. The N-doped mesoporous carbon can greatly improve the conductivity and provide uninhibited conducting pathways for fast charge transfer and transport. Moreover, the core-shell structure improved the structural integrity, leading to a high stability during the cycling process. All of these merits make the MoO₂ @NC to be a suitable and promising material for lithium ion battery.