Synthesis of porous Mn2O3 embedded in reduced graphene oxide as advanced anode materials for lithium storage

We describe a facile method to prepare porous manganese oxides (Mn2O3) embedded in reduced graphene oxide (rGO). First, the porous Mn2O3 nanospheres were generated from the coordination selfassembled aggregations (referred to as Mn(OAc)(2)-C-8), serving as precursors via calcination treatment, followed by a graphene-coating approach. The reduced graphene oxide coatingMn(2)O(3) (Mn2O3@rGO) composites not only provide superior conductivity and prevent large volume expansion, resolving the challenges of pure Mn2O3 nanospheres, but also remedy the imperfection of the inferior specific capacity of traditional graphite materials. When evaluated as an anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the Mn2O3@rGO electrode exhibits a high initial specific capacity (1684.9 mA h g(-1)), excellent cycling performance (1207.9 mA h g g(-1)over 150 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g(-1)), and high coulombic efficiency (99% after 150 cycles), as well as high rate capacity (730.0 mA h g(-1) over 150 cycles at 1 A g(-1)). The unique structural design and synergistic effect may offer a practical conception for the development of new next-generation LIBs.