Preparation and characterization of nanostructured Mn oxide by an ethanol-based precipitation method for pseudocapacitor applications

A precipitation method is proposed for the synthesis of nanostructured Mn oxide in the use of supercapacitor electrodes. Here, ethanol is used as a solvent, instead of water. The nanostructured Mn oxide synthesized has been characterized by various analytical methods. Experimental results reveal that the alkyl chain of ethanol plays an important role in forming the nanostructured Mn oxide. Importantly, this material has an amorphous structure as well as highly hydrous properties, resulting in a higher specific capacitance than crystalline Mn oxide.