High-performance lithium-ion battery anodes based on Mn3O4/nitrogen-doped porous carbon hybrid structures

Abstract Manganese oxide is a promising anode material in next-generation rechargeable batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity and low reduction potential. Here we report a facile and scalable approach to fabricate the novel Mn 3 O 4 and nitrogen-doped porous carbon hybrid nanocomposite (Mn 3 O 4 /C N) as lithium-ion battery anodes. The obtained nanocomposite has numerous nanosized Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles (∼30 nm), which are uniformly dispersed in N-doped porous carbon matrix (the N content is ∼12.2%). The N-doped porous carbon matrix can not only improve the electronic conductivity and increase the Li + storage active sites, but also accommodate the structural stress generated by volume change of Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles during cycling. Remarkably, the Mn 3 O 4 /C N anode exhibits long-term cycling stability for a reversible discharge capacity of 945 mA h g −1 (the specific capacity is calculated using the mass of the whole hybrid) at a current density of 1 A g −1 after 400 cycles, indicating a capacity retention of 94.7%. The Mn 3 O 4 /C N anode with excellent performance shows its immense potential for lithium-ion batteries.