Carboxylated carbon nanotube anchored MnCO3 nanocomposites as anode materials for advanced lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Well dispersed MnCO3/carboxylated carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites are prepared by a facile solution precipitation method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations show that due to heterogeneous nucleation sizes the addition of carboxylated CNT is able to suppress growth of MnCO3 particles, resulting in formation of nano-sized particles. Electrochemical characterization of lithiation/ delithiation of the MnCO3/CNT nanocomposites reveals a large capacity of 772 mA h g-1 for the first cycle with 84% capacity retention after 100 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of the MnCO 3/CNT nanocomposites electrode compared to the pure MnCO3 electrode can be attributed to super-fine particles and good conductivity due to the presence of CNTs. Their large surface area facilitates fast lithium ion and electron transport and accommodates the big volume change during the conversion reactions. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.