Facile solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) microspheres as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

We report the synthesis and characterization of the mesoporous manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) microspheres as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. MnFe2O4 microspheres were synthesized by a facile solvothermal method using Mn(CH3COO)2 and FeCl3 as metal precursors in the presence of CH3COOK, CH3COOC2H5, and HOCH2CH2OH. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, thermal gravimetric, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed reduction, and temperature programmed oxidation. The synthesized mesoporous MnFe2O4 microspheres composed of nanoparticles (10–30 nm) were 100–500 nm in diameter and had surface areas between 60.2 and 86.8 m2 g−1, depending on the CH3COOK amounts added in the preparation. After calcined at 600 °C, MnFe2O4 was decomposed to Mn2O3 and Fe2O3 mixture. The mesoporous MnFe2O4 microspheres calcined at 400 °C showed a capacity of 712.2 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C and 552.2 mA h g−1 at 0.8 C after 50 cycles, and an average capacity fading rate of around 0.28%/cycle and 0.48%/cycle, much better than those of the samples without calcination and calcined at 600 °C. The work would be helpful in the fabrication of binary metal oxide anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

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► Mesoporous MnFe2O4 microspheres were synthesized using solvothermal method.
► Obtained mesoporous MnFe2O4 microspheres had high surface areas (60.2–86.8 m2 g−1).
► After calcined at 600 °C, MnFe2O4 microspheres were decomposed to Mn2O3 and Fe2O3.
► The mesoporous MnFe2O4 calcined at 400 °C showed the best electrochemical property.