MnO2 Composites Research Articles

High-performance with a high voltage aqueous supercapacitor cell from a simple hybrid electrode of manganese oxide-phenanthrenequinone-graphite sheet

The present-day energy demand is growing research interest in synthesizing new hybrid electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. The main focus is on the development of new electrode materials which could be easily available, synthesizable, low-cost, environmentally friendly, with worthy electrochemical performance. In this scenario, a simple one-step synthesis of MnO2 is carried out via the solvothermal method. This MnO2 is mixed with a molecule of phenanthrenequinone (PQ). MnO2, PQ, and MnO2-PQ composite are characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and BET techniques and confirmed the formation of MnO2-PQ composite. The electrode is made by drop-casting the electro-active materials such as MnO2, PQ, and MnO2-PQ on a graphite sheet wherein a graphite sheet acts as an electrode and a current collector. These electrodes are studied in a three-electrode and also in the symmetric cell configuration in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte via CV, GCD, and EIS techniques. The device is constructed in Swagelok system exhibits a high energy density of 140 W h kg−1 at a power density of 6000 W kg−1 in the voltage range of 0 to 2 V. A coin cell is built using two MnO2-PQ-GS hybrid electrodes in an aqueous Na2SO4 electrolyte. The cycle life of the coin cell showed a retention capacitance of 74 % after 5000 cycles at a high voltage of 2 V, even at a high current density of 5 A g−1. EIS results carried out before and after 5000 cycles show that the cell works even at 5000 GCD cycles.

Effect of metal-doping (Me = Fe, Ce, Sn) on phase composition, structural peculiarities, and CO oxidation catalytic activity of cryptomelane-type MnO2

Manganese oxides attract considerable attention as redox catalysts for abatement of environmental pollutants due to their relatively high activity and low costs contrary to noble metal catalysts. The present work is focused on the effect of cryptomelane-type MnO 2 catalyst modification with Fe 3+ , Ce 3+ /Ce 4+ , Sn 4+ on their phase composition, structural peculiarities, and catalytic activity in CO oxidation. The samples are investigated by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, XRF, and comprehensive HRTEM, with their catalytic activity being studied under the model dry conditions and simulated real exhaust conditions comprising CO, O 2 , and water balanced by inert. The Mn 4+ substitution in the cryptomelane structure by Me n+ is revealed to result in its monoclinic distortion, with the Sn- and Fe-doped cryptomelane-type MnO 2 formation being accompanied by the formation of SnO 2 and Fe 1−x Mn x O 3 /Fe 1+x Mn 2−x O 4 , respectively. For Ce-doped samples, the K + presence in the cryptomelane tunnels is essential to stabilize the cryptomelane structure and nanorod morphology. The cryptomelane structure stabilized by only Ce n+ cations is collapsed during the sample calcination to form Mn 2−x Ce x O 3 and Mn 3−x Ce x O 4 , while high Ce content does not favor the formation of the cryptomelane-type MnO 2 . The composites based on the Me-doped cryptomelane-type α-MnO 2 , especially those doped with Ce, are shown to be promising candidates to develop effective oxide-based catalysts for CO oxidation. • Mn 4+ substitution by Me n+ results in monoclinic distortion of cryptomelane structure. • K + ions are essential to stabilize cryptomelane structure and nanorod morphology. • Doped cryptomelane-type MnO 2 is promising for designing of new CO oxidation catalysts.

Controllable synthesis of hierarchically porous polyaniline/MnO2 composite with wide potential window towards symmetric supercapacitor

MnO2 composites are appealing electrode materials for supercapacitors because of low cost, environmental friendliness, and high electrochemical activity. Herein, in an attempt to overcome the poor conductivity and limited potential window, the polyaniline (PANI) hydrogel is employed as the substrate to synthesize the PANI/MnO2 composite via the self-sacrifice reaction with KMnO4. The PANI/MnO2 composite prepared under heating condition (PM-H) shows hierarchically porous structure with large specific surface area/pore volume and facilitated electron/ion conduction. As a result, it delivers wide potential window of − 1.1–1.1 V and high specific capacitances of 314 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 263 F g−1 at 5 A g−1 (83.8% capacitance retention) in the three-electrode measurement. Moreover, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor delivers large operation window (0–1.8 V) and high energy/power density, e.g., a maximum energy density of 23.2 Wh kg–1 with power density of 720 W kg−1. Therefore, the present work paves a new way to construct PANI/MnO2 nanocomposite with ideal nanostructure and optimized electrochemical behavior for symmetric supercapacitor.

A simple colorimetric method based on "on-off-on" mode for detection of H2S and Hg2+ in water.

It is of great significance to develop efficient platforms for the detection of hypertoxic Hg2+ and H2S. Colorimetric have received much attention for the detection of H2S and Hg2+ in the last decades. In this work, an "on-off-on" mode colorimetric method based on MnO2/multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MnO2/MWCNTs) composite was constructed. MnO2/MWCNTs composite can oxidize TMB directly to form blue product (ox TMB) with a good simulated oxidase activity. In the presence of H2S, it can decompose the MnO2/MWCNTs composite causing the absorbance of the chromogenic system to decrease. When Hg2+ is introduced, the formation of Hg-S bond between Hg2+ and H2S inhibited the decomposition ability of H2S toward MnO2 composite, thus resulting in a color change from colorless to blue. Based on this phenomenon, the proposed "on-off-on" colorimetric sensor can be used for detection of H2S (off) and Hg2+ (on). Under optimized experimental conditions, this sensor showed a satisfactory linear relationship of H2S and Hg2+ with pleasant repeatability, acceptable method accuracy and stability. More importantly, the proposed colorimetric sensor has been successfully applied to the detection of H2S and Hg2+ in real samples, which not only provides a simple and cost-effective method to detect H2S and Hg2+ but also hopefully makes a certain contribution to environmental protection.

Design of Cube-like MnO2/r-GO Nanocomposite as a Superior Electrode Material for an Asymmetric Supercapacitor

A pure MnO2 cube and MnO2 cube/r-GO nanocomposite were synthesized by the simple hydrothermal method. The structural formation, morphological and chemical composition of as-prepared MnO2 cube/r-GO nanocomposite were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The FE-SEM and TEM images were revealed that the MnO2 cubes are homogeneously distributed on the surface of r-GO nanosheets. The electrochemical results showed that the high specific capacitance of MnO2 cube/r-GO nanocomposite was 1570 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte solution. The long life-term cycling performance of MnO2 cube/r-GO nanocomposite were delivered at outstanding capacitance retention of 99.3% subsequently 10,000 charge-discharge cycles at 8 A g−1. Moreover, we construct the asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) of MnO2/r-GO//r-GO for practical application. Herein, MnO2/r-GO act as an anode material and r-GO as a cathode material. The assembled device shows a high specific capacitance of 92.49 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, high power density of 1.5860 W kg−1, and a high energy density of 17.7555 Wh kg−1 at 8 A g−1. Furthermore, the ASC device exhibits excellent capacitance retention of 98% after 10000 sequential charge-discharge cycles in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte solution. Based on the electrochemical performance as-prepared MnO2 cube/r-GO nanocomposite considered as the potential electrode material for energy storage application.

A Review of MnO2 Composites Incorporated with Conductive Materials for Energy Storage.

Manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) has been widely used in the field of energy storage due to its high specific capacitance, low cost, natural abundance, and being environmentally friendly. However, suffering from poor electrical conductivity and high dissolvability, the performance of MnO2 can no longer meet the needs of rapidly growing technological development, especially for the application as electrode material in metal-ion batteries and supercapacitors. In this review, recent studies on the development of binary or multiple MnO2 -based composites with conductive components for energy storage are summarized. Firstly, general preparing methods for MnO2 -based composites are introduced. Subsequently, the binary and multiple MnO2 -based composites with carbon, conducting polymer, and other conductive materials are discussed respectively. The improvement in their performance is summarized as well. Finally, perspectives on the practical applications of MnO2 -based composites are presented.

Biomass-derived porous carbon-incorporated MnO2 composites thin films for asymmetric supercapacitor: synthesis and electrochemical performance

Biomass-derived porous carbon-incorporated MnO2 composites thin films for asymmetric supercapacitor: synthesis and electrochemical performance

Influence of Pre-Annealing on Densification, Microstructure, and Microhardness of Spark Plasma Sintered TiO<sub>2</sub>-MnO<sub>2 </sub>Composites

MnO2and TiO2composites have garnered substantial research interest for energy applications, including supercapacitor electrodes and photocatalysts. This study investigated the microstructures, densification behaviour, and microhardness of spark plasma sintered TiO2-MnO2composites. TiO2-MnO2composites with 10 wt.% MnO2and 30 wt.% MnO2were sintered at a temperature of 1000 °C and applied pressure of 25 MPa. To investigate the influence of annealing, the second batch of powders with similar compositions were pre-annealed at a temperature of 500°C for 5 minutes before consolidation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the powders and compacts. The results revealed that the pre-annealing stage influences the microstructural constituents, densification, and microhardness. The formation of pores and a new phase was observed in SEM images and XRD patterns. The relative densities of the 10wt.%MnO2sample increased from 97.48 % to 97.71 %, whereas that of the 30wt.%MnO2composite increased from 96.11% to 96.46%. Similarly, the microhardness values in the pre-annealed 10wt.% MnO2and 30wt.%MnO2composites increased by 1.78% and 0.41%, respectively.

Ultra-light 3D MnO2-agar network with high and longevous performance for catalytic formaldehyde oxidation

Under the background of indoor air formaldehyde decontamination, a freestanding ultra-light assembly was fabricated via ice-templating approach starting from MnO2 nanoparticles and environmentally benign agar powder. The 3D composite of agar and MnO2 (AM-3D) was comparatively studied with powdered counterparts (including pure MnO2 and mixture of agar and MnO2) and the 3D-structured agar for formaldehyde oxidation, and their physicochemical properties were examined with XRD, ATR, SEM, XPS, isothermal N2 adsorption, ESR, Raman, CO-TPR and O2-TPD. For the single test of formaldehyde oxidation, the AM-3D catalyst exhibited 62.0%–67.0% removal percentage for ~400 mg/m3 formaldehyde, which did not demonstrate significant advantage over the control samples. However, thanks to the porous 3D agar scaffold with large spatial volume that could promote a rapid gas-phase formaldehyde concentration reduction, and the strong interaction between the dispersed MnO2 particles and agar substrate that could afford a large amount of reactive oxygen species to further oxidize the adsorbed formaldehyde, the AM-3D composite was a much better HCHO-to-CO2 converter and possessed much more advantageous stability for repeated cycles of formaldehyde oxidation: even after ten cycles, there was still 41.7% of formaldehyde removed. Furthermore, the viable sunlight irradiation could easily restore the activity of the used AM-3D catalyst back to the level approaching that of the fresh one. Finally, reaction pathways were put forward via the infrared spectroscopic and ion chromatographic investigations on the surface intermediates of the spent materials.

Fe-Doped MnO2 Nanostructures for Attenuation–Impedance Balance-Boosted Microwave Absorption

The attenuation–impedance property plays the key role in the microwave absorption process. In this work, the phenomenon of Fe inducing the gradient phase and morphology transition of MnO2 has been well explored. As the Fe doping content increases, the phase evolution from δ-MnO2 to α-MnO2 and the morphology transition from nanosheets to nanowires occur. Based on this, the multiphase MnO2 nanostructures composed by δ-MnO2 nanosheets and α-MnO2 nanowires are controllably synthesized, in which the former has a high impedance matching characteristic and the latter owns an excellent attenuation ability. By adjusting the Fe3+ doping content, the multiphase MnO2 can realize the balance between attenuation and impedance. When the doping ratio (Fe/Mn) is 7.14 mol %, in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz, the attenuation coefficient of the MnO2 composite is 14.77–194.35, the intrinsic impedance coefficient is 0.29–0.40, and the effective absorption bandwidth (reflection loss < −10 dB) can reach 5.44 GHz when the thickness of the absorbing layer is only 2 mm. This work provides an effective method for designing broadband microwave absorption materials.

One-pot synthesis of MnO-loaded mildly expanded graphite composites as high-performance lithium-ion battery anode materials

Improving the properties of conventional graphite anode materials has been an important research topic for enhancing the performances of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we develop a facile one-pot approach to mildly expand graphite (MEG) and simultaneously load MnO onto the as-prepared MEG to synthesize MnO@MEG composites as high-performance anode materials for LIBs. With the improved porous structure and electrical conduction network, both the MEG and MnO components of the composite exhibit well-defined electrochemical properties and alleviated volume changes upon charge/discharge, synergistically enhancing the electrochemical performances for our composites. With a high active material content and high mass loading for the testing electrode, the optimized MnO@MEG composite shows a high capacity (437.77 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C), a high rate capability (capacity retains 71.93% at 1 C vs. 0.1 C), and a high cycling stability (capacity retains 73.17% and 68.13% after charge/discharge at 0.5 C and 1 C, respectively, for 50 cycles), significantly outperforming its pristine graphite counterpart and previously reported similar MnO composites with other carbon materials, thereby standing for a practically promising anode material for LIBs. Broadly, the one-pot approach developed in the present work can be extended for producing other graphite-based composites for other energy-related technologies.

Effects of carbon nanomaterials and MXene addition on the performance of nitrogen doped MnO2 based supercapacitors

Nitrogen-doped composites have the potential to achieve well electrochemical performance by enabling convenient contact of the electrolyte ions for carbon-based materials. A good combination of metal oxide and carbonaceous material is a critical challenge in the development of composites. Herein, we demonstrate a highly capacitive and superior cycle performance of MnO2 based supercapacitor electrodes. The addition of different forms of carbon nanomaterials (carbon nanotube and graphene) and MXene is particularly studied. MnO2 based composite materials are capable of capacitance retention over 95%, with high specific capacitance compared to pure N-doped MnO2. The highest specific capacitance was achieved with MXene based MnO2 composite, which exhibits 457 Fg-1, at a current density of 1 A g−1 with extreme cycling efficiency (102.5%, after 1000 cycles). High conductivity and large surface area are stimulated by the propitious interaction between MnO2 and nanoscale materials, resulting in superior supercapacitor efficiency. This study highlights the possible potential of carbon-based MnO2 composite electrodes which could be useful for future energy storage applications.

Hybrid biochar supported transition metal doped MnO2 composites: Efficient contenders for lithium adsorption and recovery from aqueous solutions

Herein, novel nanocomposites (Nix-MnO2/BC) were synthesized by hybrid biochars (h-BC) that derived from coconut shell and rice husk, and subsequently decorating the surfaces of these h-BC with nickel-doped MnO2 nanorods at various ratios of nickel doping. The as-fabricated Nix-MnO2/BC nanocomposites exhibited efficient Li+ adsorption and desorption performances. Conventional batch adsorption tests were done to optimize parameters: pH, dose, contact time, Li+ initial concentration, and temperature that maximized Li+ uptakes adsorbents efficiency. The Ni0.01-MnO2/BC nanocomposite showed the greatest Li+ uptakes (89 mg g−1) under optimized parameters at ambient temperature. The high capacity of Ni0.01-MnO2/BC nanocomposite for Li+ uptakes arises from the specific extent of Ni-doping, large specific surface area (400 m2 g−1), and high number of accessible active functionalities. Sorption kinetics and isothermal analysis illustrate that, Li+ adsorption mechanism follows pseudo 1st order kinetic and Langmuir model. Based on identified thermodynamic parameters, the adsorption of Li+ on adsorbents was exothermic and spontaneous in nature, signifying the physical adsorption process. Subsequent desorption experiments demonstrate that 98% of the Li+ can be recovered in the desorbing agent. Furthermore, the selective Li+ adsorption and intermediate stable nature of nanocomposites make them suitable contenders for Li+ adsorption and recovery applications at a broad scale.

CeO2 QDs anchored on MnO2 nanoflowers with multiple synergistic effects for amplified tumour therapy

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is an emerging tumour-specific therapeutic technology. However, the relatively insufficient catalytic activity of CDT agents in the tumour microenvironment (TME) limits their biomedical application. In addition, severe hypoxia and glutathione (GSH) overexpression in the TME greatly limit the antitumour efficiency of monotherapy. Herein, a cancer cell membrane-camouflaged and ultrasmall CeO2-decorated MnO2 (mMC) composite is developed for amplified CDT, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). Due to the homotypic targeting ability of cancer cell membranes, mMC nanoparticles preferentially accumulate in tumour tissue. In the TME, CeO2 acts as a highly efficient CDT agent to convert endogenous H2O2 to toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) for killing cancer cells. Meanwhile, MnO2 irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) light displays prominent hyperthermia and ROS generation performance to perform PTT and PDT. Moreover, MnO2 can produce oxygen to ameliorate hypoxia and deplete GSH to relieve the antioxidant capability of tumours, which is beneficial to the simultaneous augmentation of PDT and CDT. Most importantly, the catalytic activity of CeO2 was greatly improved by hyperthermia. Consequently, a significantly enhanced therapeutic efficiency was obtained by the above multiple synergistic effects. This work provides a proof of concept for amplified tumour therapy by synchronously self-supplying oxygen, consuming GSH, and enhancing catalytic activity.

Synthesis of δ–MnO2/Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid In Situ and Application in Mg–Air Battery

Different forms of δ–MnO2 were constructed with their reduction sites anchored on non-support or other supports. Morphology, composition, and electrochemical properties of MnO2 and its hybrids were analyzed. Results revealed that MnO2/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layered hybrid showed a higher BET surface area due to the synergistic effect on the introduction of rGO and the morphologic transformation of anchored MnO2. MnO2/rGO–2 exhibits a higher ratio of Mn3+: Mn4+ content, a better adsorption performance for O2, and a lower charge-transfer resistance when respect to pristine δ–MnO2. Compared with other MnO2/rGO hybrids, porous MnO2/rGO-2 layered hybrid exhibits the best electrochemical property: a closer four-electron process (3.95), a more positive E onset (0.92 V vs RHE), and superior long-term durability (98.5% after 25,000 s). Especially, a mechanically reusable Mg–air battery with MnO2/rGO–2 cathode catalyst only exhibits a 5% decay for 264 h.

Kinetic and thermodynamic studies of polyvinyl chloride composite of manganese oxide nanosheets for the efficient removal of dye from water

Abstract Manganese oxide nanosheets and manganese oxide composite with polyvinyl chloride (MnO2-PVC) were synthesized by the oxidation method for the efficient removal of Congo red (CR). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray, surface area (SA), point of zero charge (PZC) and thermogravimetric analysis were performed to verify the newly synthesized adsorbents. After functionalizing the surface of MnO2 nanosheets with PVC, the PZC and SA were amplified from 4.10 and 214 m2g−1 to 5.01 and 226 m2g−1, respectively. The batch adsorption results showed that the removal capacity of CR on both the adsorbents decreased with the increase of pH and time, but increased with the increase of adsorbent dosage. However, due to the high stability, porosity and greater surface area, the PVC composite of MnO2 was found to exhibit 15 times greater CR removal efficiency than its parent MnO2. Furthermore, the thermodynamic parameters specified that CR adsorption onto both the adsorbents was exothermic, spontaneous and film diffusion accompanied by the intraparticle diffusion is the rate controlling step. These results validate that MnO2 composite with PVC is a useful, eco-friendly, competent candidate for dye removal from wastewater.

Electrochemical study of ternary polyaniline/MoS2−MnO2 for supercapacitor applications

In this work behavior of polyaniline/molybdenum disulfide-manganese dioxide (PANI/MoS2−MnO2) composite on Glassy Carbon electrode (GCE) for supercapacitor applications was studied. For this purpose, the bulk MoS2 was exfoliated into few layer nanosheets with specific solvent then MoS2−MnO2 composite was synthesized using hydrothermal technique and hybrid PANI/MoS2−MnO2 electrode was fabricated employing electropolymerization technique. The ternary composite serves as an electrode for supercapacitor in both three and two-electrode systems which has more superior electrochemical properties compared to the binary complex. The supercapacitor electrode consists of MoS2 nanosheets as sub-layer support, MnO2 providing electrochemical performance and polyaniline improving high electric conductivity. The supercapacitor performances of the composite were analyzed by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Chronopotentiometry (CP) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. The maximum specific capacitance of PANI, MoS2−MnO2 and PANI/MoS2−MnO2 nanocomposite electrodes was calculated 333, 358 and 479 Fg−1 at the scan rate of 5 mVs−1, respectively. Likewise, the applicable two-electrode device using electrode configurations composed of PANI-MoS2−MnO2//PANI-MoS2−MnO2 showed specific capacitance of 259 Fg−1 at current density of 1 Ag−1. Also, the electrode possessed specific energy of 35.97 Wh kg−1 at a specific power of 500 W kg−1 and excellent cycling stability of 94.1% after 4000 cycles at 16 Ag−1.

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of α- and β-MnO2 nanorods

Herein, we synthesise various polymorphs of MnO2 through hydrothermal technique. Formation of pure tetragonal structured α-, β- and mixture of α and β phase of MnO2are identified through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD).Rietveld refinement reviles 73% of α-MnO2 and 27% of β-MnO2 present in αβ-MnO2. From Field emission scanning electron micrographs (FESEM), average diameter of α- and β-MnO2nanorods is found to be 36 nm and 23 nm, respectively, while in αβ-MnO2, nanorods of two different sizes, 28 and 116 nm are observed. Among all polymorphs, small size of nanorods in β-MnO2 results high specific capacitance. Through UV–visible absorption spectra, the optical band gap of α-, β- and αβ-MnO2nanorods are estimated to be 1.53, 1.30 and 1.45 eV, respectively. XPS confirms the presence of large concentration of Mn3+ in α- and αβ-MnO2 nanorods results high effective magnetic moment in comparison to the theoretical one which is almost same in β-MnO2. Henceforth, we evaluate the accurate composition of MnO2 as α-MnO1.48, β-MnO1.86 and αβ-MnO1.15. Spin-glass/cluster-glass behavior is confirmed from ac susceptibility and remanent magnetization measurements in β-MnO2and αβ-MnO2which is absent in α-MnO2 depending on a critical concentration of Mn3+ions.

Synthesis of nanosized manganese methahydroxide stabilized by cystine

The paper presents a method for the synthesis of cystine-stabilized manganese metahydroxide nanoparticles. The resulting particles had a spherical shape, a diameter of the order of 16–25 nm, and were strongly agglomerated. Studies of the morphology, elemental and phase composition of MnO(OH) nanoparticles have been carried out. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of a semicrystalline MnO(OH) phase with an orthorhombic structure. A quantum-chemical simulation has been performed and models of the chemical bond formation between a cystine molecule and a fragment of the manganese metahydroxide unit cell were constructed. Based on the results of computer simulation, the most probable mechanism of MnO(OH) nanoparticles stabilization with cystine has been established. It lies in the interaction of the carboxyl group of cystine with the hydroxo group of manganese metahydroxide.

Black zirconia composites with enhanced thermal, optical and mechanical performance for solar energy applications

This work discusses developing new black zirconia (ZrO2) composites with high efficiency and optimal properties as a volumetric solar receiver via low cost processing. The major aim is optimizing a new high temperature material with high durability, optical and thermal properties for solar energy applications. This was achieved by blackening of zirconia and producing black zirconia composites through addition of Fe2O3 and MnO2 instead of using coating. Fe2O3 is added to the white zirconia with different content (0–30 wt%) to promote its dark color and enhance its properties. 5 wt% MnO2 is added to assist the blackening and the sintering processes. The different ZrO2/Fe2O3 (0–30 wt%)/MnO2 composites are produced by pressureless sintering method at a temperature of 1700 °C for 2 hrs. Optical, thermal and mechanical performances of the obtained composites are optimized to ensure its suitability and sustainability as solar absorber material. Results indicated that highly dense composites with homogenous microstructural features are attained. Increment of Fe2O3 content has a substantial effect on promoting the thermal and solar to thermal efficiencies of the obtained composites. Composite with 30 wt % Fe2O3 showed the highest solar absorbance in the UV, visible and near IR regions. It recorded the best light emission efficiency with the highest photoluminescence performance. Black ZrO2/Fe2O3/MnO2 composites could be a promising candidate as solar receiver material for thermal solar plants than other reported carbide and nitride materials.