A simple and cost-effective morphogenetic route has been developed for the fabrication of a hierarchically nanostructured “cellulose” MoO2 monolith in large qualities, whereby the cotton texture acts as both a template and a stabilizer. The MoO2 monolith possesses hierarchical porosity and an interconnected framework, which is demonstrated to be useful as a binder-free anode in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with both high specific capacity of 719.1 mA h g−1 and good reversibility. Our single-component anode for lithium-storage devices also benefits from a simplified fabrication process and reduced manufacturing cost, in comparison with conventional multicomponent electrodes that are fabricated from a mixture of polymer binders and active materials. The present morphogenetic strategy is facile but effective, and therefore it is very promising for large-scale industrial production. It can be extended to prepare other metal oxides with elaborate textural characteristics.
