Investigation on the Electrochemical Performances of Mn2O3 as a Potential Anode for Na-Ion Batteries

Nor Fazila Mahamad Yusoff; Nurul Hayati Idris; Muhamad Faiz Md Din; Siti Rohana Majid; Noor Aniza Harun; Md Mokhlesur Rahman

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66148-w

Investigation on the Electrochemical Performances of Mn₂O₃ as a Potential Anode for Na-Ion Batteries

Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 8;10(1):9207. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66148-w.

Authors

Nor Fazila Mahamad Yusoff¹, Nurul Hayati Idris², Muhamad Faiz Md Din³, Siti Rohana Majid⁴, Noor Aniza Harun⁵, Md Mokhlesur Rahman⁶

Affiliations

¹ Energy Storage Research Group, Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
² Energy Storage Research Group, Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. nurulhayati@umt.edu.my.
³ Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kem Sungai Besi, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁴ Center for Ionics University of Malaya, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ Advance Nano Materials (ANOMA) Research Group, Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
⁶ Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, 3216, Australia. m.rahman@deakin.edu.au.

Abstract

Currently, the development of the sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries has been accelerated to meet the energy demands of large-scale power applications. The difficulty of obtaining suitable electrode materials capable of storing large amount of Na-ion arises from the large radius of Na-ion that restricts its reversible capacity. Herein, Mn₂O₃ powders are synthesised through the thermal conversion of MnCO₃ and reported for the first time as an anode for Na-ion batteries. The phase, morphology and charge/discharge characteristics of Mn₂O₃ obtained are evaluated systematically. The cubic-like Mn₂O₃ with particle sizes approximately 1.0-1.5 µm coupled with the formation of Mn₂O₃ sub-units on its surface create a positive effect on the insertion/deinsertion of Na-ion. Mn₂O₃ delivers a first discharge capacity of 544 mAh g^-1 and retains its capacity by 85% after 200 cycles at 100 mA g^-1, demonstrating the excellent cyclability of the Mn₂O₃ electrode. Therefore, this study provides a significant contribution towards exploring the potential of Mn₂O₃ as a promising anode in the development of Na-ion batteries.