Nitrogen-doped MnO2 nanorods as cathodes for high-energy Zn-MnO2 batteries

The development of manganese dioxide (MnO2) as the cathode for aqueous Zn-MnO2 batteries is hindered by poor capacity. Herein, we propose a high-capacity MnO2 cathode constructed by engineering it with N-doping (N-MnO2) for a high-performance Zn-MnO2 battery. Benefiting from N element doping, the conductivity of N-MnO2 nanorods (NRs) electrode has been improved and the dissolution of the cathode during cycling can be relieved to some extent. The fabricated Zn-N-MnO2 battery based on the N-MnO2 cathode and a Zn foil anode presents an a real capacity of 0.31 mAh cm(-2) at 2 mA cm(-2), together with a remarkable energy density of 154.3 Wh kg(-1) and a peak power density of 6914.7W kg(-1), substantially higher than most recently reported energy storage devices. The strategy of N doping can also bring intensive interest for other electrode materials for energy storage systems.