Double-carbon coated MnO nanoparticles as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion storage

To overcome the inferior conductivity and ion transfer kinetics of MnO based on materials as lithium-ion batteries anode, microsized carbon coating MnO nanoparticles (HNC@MnO/NC) are designed by hard template and hydrothermal methods combined with the pyrolysis of polydopamine. The coating carbon layer and the presence of oxygen vacancies accelerate the electron transfer and promote the lithium storage performance of HNC@MnO/NC. The internal carbon of the HNC@MnO/NC nanoparticles is used to prevent MnO nanoparticles aggregation during the calcination process; the outer carbon layer not only effectively enhances the conductivity but also avoids the pulverization of MnO nanoparticles, decreasing the undesirable side reactions between the electrode and electrolyte. The HNC@MnO/NC manifests outstanding rate performance at 5 A g⁻¹; its charge capacity and discharge capacity are 338.7 and 342.4mAh g⁻¹. The excellent Li⁺ storage performance of HNC@MnO/NC indicates that it has potential feasibility in the practical application of good performance Li⁺ batteries.