A two-step strategy for the preparation of ultra-small Mn3O4 @C anode for lithium-ion batteries

Nano-engineering and hybrid with carbon are effective methods for improving the electrochemical performance of Mn ₃O ₄ anodes. However, there are many difficulties in further reducing the size of Mn ₃O ₄ . To solve these challenges, a novel hollow microsphere structure constituted of ultra-small Mn ₃O ₄ nanoparticles (less than 5 nm) embedded within ultrathin carbon nanosheets is designed as anode materials by a simple two-step heating treatment method. The ultra-small Mn ₃O ₄ nanoparticles will accelerate the kinetic reaction process and relieve volume variation. Meanwhile, In-situ fabrication of conductive carbon nanosheets play an important role in the electronic/ion transfer and the structure stability. Due to the synergistic effect of ultra-small Mn ₃O ₄ nanoparticles and carbon nanosheets, the material shows a topmost reversible capacity of 804 mAh g ⁻¹ at the current density of 1 C and maintains a high specific capacity of 603 mAh g ⁻¹ after 700 cycles. The strategy can be extended to prepare of other functional nanoparticles and apply in energy storage and catalysis.