Modification of manganese-based materials and their application in zinc-ion batteries

Abstract

Addressing the issues of structural instability, slow ion diffusion, and active material dissolution in Cathode materials containing manganese for aqueous zinc-ion batteries, this study designs and synthesizes a MnO₂@C nanorod composite with a core-shell structure. An amorphous carbon shell was coated onto MnO₂ using a hard template method, constructing a porous conductive network that effectively enhances the electronic conductivity and structural stability of the material. As evidenced by experiments, MnO₂@C shows a specific capacity as high as 210 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g, and after 600 cycles at 0.8 A/g, it still maintains excellent electrochemical performance. It maintains a capacity retention rate of 89.5% with Coulombic efficiency close to 100%, demonstrating excellent rate capability and cycling stability. The structural evolution of the material aligns well with its electrochemical behavior, confirming the crucial role of the core-shell structure in enhancing ion transport, alleviating volume expansion, and inhibiting manganese dissolution.