Designed construction and validation of carbon-free porous MnO spheres with hybrid architecture as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

摘要

Porous microanostructures of earth abundant and ecobenign metals are emerging as advanced green materials for use in electrochemical energy storage devices. We present here the custom designed construction of a hybrid architecture containing porous MnO microspheres, formed out of hierarchically assembled nanoparticles using a template-free co- precipitation method, wherein the sacrificial template growth of porous spheres has been obtained by a solution mediated and time dependent oxidation strategy. The nanoporous channels in the MnO microspheres and the nanosized primary particles of MnO anodes in synergy increase the electrolyte percolation, resulting in a discharge capacity of 1200 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1) and a capacity as high as 450 mA h g(-1) under the 1000 mA g(-1) condition. The study assumes importance based on the fact that engineering of electrode materials is typically challenging, wherein design, preparation and fabrication of tailor-made electrodes with a desirable microanocrystalline assembly play a critical role, especially when recommended for high capacity and high-rate applications in electrochemical energy storage devices. Further, this communication elaborates the designed construction and validation of porous MnO microspheres engineered through a time dependent process protocol as economically viable and environmentally benign anodes for lithium-ion batteries.