Rational design of 3D net-like carbon based Mn3O4 anode materials with enhanced lithium storage performance

Abstract

An optimized structure design of three-dimensional (3D) net-like carbon based Mn₃O₄ (Mn₃O₄/CP) composites was realized based on the theory of explosive nucleation and in situ growth. Mn₃O₄/CP composites have been successfully prepared on a large scale with filter paper adsorbed with manganese(II) oleate as the raw materials using a facile thermal decomposition route. The obtained Mn₃O₄/CP composite shows a reversible capacity of 1005 mA h g⁻¹ after 90 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹, with a remarkably enhanced rate performance and excellent cycling stability compared to the pure Mn₃O₄ nanostructure which loses most of its capacity within 10 cycles. Even at a current density of 2000 mA g⁻¹, the specific capacity of the Mn₃O₄/CP composite was still as high as 486 mA h g⁻¹, which is much higher than that of pure Mn₃O₄ (38 mA h g⁻¹) and the carbon materials (111 mA h g⁻¹). The enhancement of the electrochemical performance could be attributed to the synergy of Mn₃O₄ enwrapped with the 3D conductive carbon network, thus making it a promising anode material for large-scale energy storage applications. Moreover, this facile and effective synthetic strategy can be further explored as a universal approach for the rapid synthesis of other transition metal oxides and carbon hybrids with subtle structure engineering.