Cathode Properties of Nanocrystalline Manganese Oxide Synthesized Through Soft Solution Processing

Abstract

Nanosized manganese oxide materials with zinc were prepared through a soft solution processing and the cathode properties for lithium batteries were investigated. The materials were prepared through a precipitation process by reduction of permanganate ions in an ethanol solution with controlled pH. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the materials were nanosized crystallites with diameter less than 3.4 nm and that the crystal structures of the compound varied from phase to birnessite-like phase as pH increased. The Zn concentration in the nanocrystalline compound was controlled by the molar ratio in the preparation solution. The zinc addition to the manganese oxide material improved the electrochemical properties. The cathode materials synthesized with optimized Zn concentration and pH showed a specific capacity of with a good cyclability between 1.5 and 3.9 V vs .