Mn3O4-Based Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Manganese oxide in the spinel form (Mn₃O₄) has emerged as a promising conversion‐type anode for lithium‐ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity, low cost and environmental benignity. During charge and discharge, Mn₃O₄ undergoes a reversible conversion reaction with lithium, forming Li₂O and metallic manganese. However, bulk Mn₃O₄ suffers from poor electrical conductivity and significant volume expansion, which lead to rapid capacity fade and limited rate performance. To address these drawbacks, recent research has focused on nanostructuring Mn₃O₄, designing carbon‐based composites, and engineering hierarchical pore architectures. Nanostructuring reduces diffusion lengths for Li⁺, while carbon networks and pore‐engineered hosts provide mechanical confinement, maintain electrical contact and accommodate dimensional changes. Collectively, these strategies enhance cycling stability, rate capability and practical capacity retention, paving the way towards low‐cost, high‐energy‐density anodes for next‐generation lithium‐ion cells.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that encapsulating Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles inside multiwalled carbon nanotubes yields a stable nanocomposite in which the rigid nanotube cavity controls particle size and mitigates pulverisation. This hybrid anode attains reversible capacities around 460 mAh g⁻¹ with 90 % retention after 50 cycles, owing to efficient electron pathways and suppression of volume‐change stresses. In another advance, macroporous Mn₃O₄ microspheres with carbon nanoparticles entrapped within a maze‐like interior exhibit dramatically improved cycling stability. By embedding carbon into the pore network, the composite retains 86 % of its capacity after 50 cycles, while a scalable, two‐step fabrication offers a route to cost‐effective, high‐performance conversion‐type anodes.

Mn3O4-Based Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mn3o4-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Conversion reaction: A reversible electrochemical process in which a metal oxide is reduced to metal and lithium oxide during lithiation, and oxidised back upon delithiation.

Pseudocapacitance: A faradaic charge-storage mechanism characterised by surface or near‐surface redox reactions that contribute to high rate capability.

Coulombic efficiency: The ratio of charge extracted during discharge to charge supplied during charge, indicating the reversibility of electrochemical processes.

Volume expansion: The increase in electrode volume resulting from lithium insertion, which can induce mechanical stress and structural degradation.

Nanocomposite: A hybrid material comprised of nanoparticles dispersed within a continuous matrix, designed to combine the advantageous properties of each constituent.

References

1. 3D Grid of Carbon Tubes with Mn3O4‐NPs/CNTs Filled in their Inner Cavity as Ultrahigh‐Rate and Stable Lithium Anode. Energy & Environmental Materials (2023).
2. Three-Dimensional Nanoporous CNT@Mn3O4 Hybrid Anode: High Pseudocapacitive Contribution and Superior Lithium Storage. Batteries (2023).
3. Electrochemical Magnetization Switching and Energy Storage in Manganese Oxide filled Carbon Nanotubes. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Carbon nanoparticle-entrapped macroporous Mn3O4 microsphere anodes with improved cycling stability for Li-ion batteries. Scientific Reports (2022).
5. Three-Dimensional Monolithically Self-Grown Metal Oxide Highly Dense Nanonetworks as Free-Standing High-Capacity Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2022).