Mn3O4 nanoparticles anchored on carbon nanotubes as anode material with enhanced lithium storage

Abstract

Mn3O4 is considered as a promising lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) anode material owing to the high theoretical capacity, appropriate lithiation potential, low cost, and environmentally benign nature. However, the inferior electronic conductivity and dramatic volume expansion during cycling hinder the enhancement of Li ion storage property. Herein, Mn3O4 nanoparticles with the dimension about 18 nm anchoring on carbon nanotubes (CNTs@Mn3O4) are fabricated using CNTs@MnO2 as precursor, which is prepared by a facile method at room temperature. Benefiting from the merits brought by the microstructure and components of hybrid material, the as-prepared CNTs@Mn3O4 electrode delivers a reversible capacity of 895.0 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 200 cycles and 743.7 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1 when used as LIBs anode. Considering the multifunctional property of Mn-based oxides, this work presents a facile method to synthesize Mn-based functional materials for various fields.