Upon the first sodiation, the sodiation displacement of the α-MoO3 Nanobelts exhibits axial stepwise propagation with time.
The α-MoO3 nanobelts are found to undergo a unique irreversible multi-step phase transformation in first cycle.
The phase transformation during first sodiation process is c-MoO3→a-NaxMoO3→c-NaMoO2→c-Mo.
The phase transformation during first desodiation process is c-Mo→c-NaMoO2→a-Na2MoO3.
Reversible phase transformation during subsequent cycles is between c-Mo and a-Na2MoO3.