Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties of Hierarchically Porous Zn(Co1−xMnx)2O4 Anodes for Li‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

AbstractA hierarchically porous Zn(Co1−xMnx)2O4 anode is synthesized through a hydrothermal method. XRD measurements indicate that ZnCo2O4, ZnCo1.5Mn0.5O4, ZnCoMnO4, ZnCo0.5Mn1.5O4, and ZnMn2O4 are isostructural in solid solution. Through analysis of X‐ray photoelectronic spectra and EPMA and EDX mapping of Zn(Co1−xMnx)2O4, it is confirmed that the valance of Mn is 3+ only, and that the Mn cation is distributed homogeneously in the ZnCo2O4‐based structure. Interestingly, the pore‐size distributions of these spinel‐based anodes are tunable by changing the substituting content of Mn in the ZnCo2O4 host. Compared with nanoporous ZnCo2O4 and macroporous ZnMn2O4, the as‐synthesized ZnCoMnO4 nanospheres exhibit a high capacity of 823 mAh g−1 with excellent cycling retention of more than 80 cycles without decay. The excellent cyclability might be attributed to the nanosized particles and the nature of the hierarchical pore‐size distribution. The results indicate that ZnCoMnO4 is a good candidate as an anode for application in lithium‐ion batteries.