Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) has garnered substantial attention as a low-cost, environment-friendly anode material. It undergoes a conversion reaction involving the formation of Li2O and metallic Mn to provide high-energy Li-ion batteries. However, its low electrical conductivity and significant volume change reduce its capacity during the initial lithiation/delithiation, hindering its practical application. To improve the cycle performance, we propose a new composite structure wherein we entrap carbon nanoparticles in macroporous Mn3O4 microspheres with a unique maze-like porous interior. We fabricate the Mn3O4/C composites using a scalable two-step process involving the thermal decomposition of MnCO3 in water vapor and mixing in a carbon-dispersed solution. The fabricated Mn3O4/C composites with varying carbon contents exhibit a high maximum discharge capacity retention of 86% after 50 cycles, compared to the 18% given by bare Mn3O4. The entrapped carbon nanoparticles improve the cycle performance both electrochemically and physically. The microstructure of the composite particles and the fabrication process developed in this study will help improve the performance of other conversion-type anode materials that suffer from cycle degradation, including inexpensive transition metal oxides and sulfides.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.