Hollow mesoporous hetero-ZnO/ZnMnO3 microspheres: template-free formation process and enhanced lithium storage capability towards Li-ion batteries as a competitive anode

Hierarchical hollow porous structures have attracted enormous attention in the field of emerging electrochemical energy storage. Spinel ZnMnO3 stands out from other metal oxide-based anodes thanks to its affordability, environmental friendliness, safety and large capacity. However, its modestly high-rate capability and cycling stability should be addressed for advanced Li-ion batteries (LIBs) via smartly engineering the electrode structures/components using simple strategies. In this contribution, we devised a scalable bottom-up methodology for the fabrication of hollow mesoporous ZnO/ZnMnO3 (ZZMO) microspheres. The underlying template-free formation mechanism was rationally proposed. Benefiting from synergistic contributions from the bi-component-active ZnO-ZnMnO3 hetero-structure at the nanoscale, hollow and mesoporosity, the resultant hollow ZZMO microspheres were endowed with a large reversible capacity of similar to 695 mA h g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), as well as stable cycling performance and a remarkable rate capability when utilized as a competitive anode for LIBs. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis demonstrates that the main faradaic capacitive contribution accounts for the outstanding lithium storage of the ZZMO anode. Promisingly, the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2//ZZMO full battery achieved a capacity of similar to 121.0 mA h g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1), and energy density of similar to 188.6 W h kg(-1). More significantly, these results highlight that hollow porous ZZMO microspheres would be a promising low-cost anode for nextgeneration LIBs.