Template synthesis of MnO2/CNT nanocomposite and its application in rechargeable lithium batteries
(School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China)
Abstract: Nanostructured MnO2/CNT composite was synthesized by a soft template approach in the presence of Pluronic P123 surfactant. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the sample consists of poor crystalline α-MnO2 nanorods with a diameter of about 10 nm and a length of 30−50 nm, which absorb on the carbon nanotubes. The electrochemical properties of the product as cathode material for Li-MnO2 cell are evaluated by galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Compared with pure MnO2 electrode, the MnO2/CNT composite delivers a much larger initial capacity of 275.3 mA∙h/g and better rate and cycling performance.
Key words: MnO2/CNT; soft template; nanocomposite; rechargeable lithium batteries