A Green Synthesis of Mn3O4/graphene Nanocomposite as Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A green and gentle synthesis method of Mn3O4/graphene nanocomposite is supplied to achieve a high property anode material for Li-ion batteries. The synthesis process of Mn3O4/graphene nanocomposites consists of two parts: one is the formation of Mn3O4 nanoparticles by hydrothermal reaction; the other is the reduction of graphene oxide to graphene by Vitamin C in hot bath, companied with the combination of graphene and Mn3O4. During the preparation process, all raw materials and byproducts are non-toxic, meanwhile, the methods are green, gentle and energy saving. The resulting materials are characterized by XRD, SEM and TG. The composite materials deliver a stable reversible capacity of 500 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 100 mA g(-1) even after 100 cycles. The reversible capacity of the samples coated by crumpled graphene is higher than pure Mn3O4 nanoparticles. This research supplies a new effective strategy to fabricate metal oxide/graphene nanocomposites with high electrochemical performances anode materials through a real environmental friendly method.