Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedrons embedded in nitrogen-doped graphene oxide as potent anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedrons embedded in N-doped graphene oxide (MNGO) nanosheets were synthesized using a simple, energy-efficient, and rapid microwave-digested hydrothermal route in a single step. The structural and morphological aspects of synthesized materials were evaluated by XRD, IR, Raman, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM techniques. Then, the composite MNGO was tested for its Li-ion storage properties and compared with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Mn₃O₄ materials. The MNGO composite exhibited superior reversible specific capacity, excellent cyclic stability, and outstanding structural integrity throughout the electrochemical studies. The MNGO composite showed a reversible capacity of 898 mA h g^-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g^-1 and Coulombic efficiency of 97.8%. Even at a higher current density of 500 mA g^-1, it exhibits a higher specific capacity of 532 mA h g^-1 (~1.5 times higher than commercial graphite anode). These results demonstrate that Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedrons embedded on N-doped GO are a highly durable and potent anode material for LIBs.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11581-023-05035-6.