Facile Synthesis and Modification of KMn8O16 Nanorods for Lithium Ion Battery Applications

Cu (Co, Ni)-doped cryptomelane nanorods were first synthesized under reflux conditions, and then, polyaniline-coated Cu/KMn8O16 nanorods were prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in an acidic medium. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The samples took on the morphology of nanorods with diameters of 10 nm and length of 100-300 nm. When used as the cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the polyaniline-coated Cu/KMn8O16 nanorods exhibited a relatively high specific discharge capacity of 212 mA h g(-1) and excellent stability without capacity loss over 100 cycles at 100 mA g(-1). Furthermore, the polyaniline-coated Cu/KMn8O16 nanorods exhibited the best rate performance among all samples. Thus, the polyaniline-coated Cu/KMn8O16 composite is a promising cathode material for LIB application.