Synthesis of Mn2O3 nanomaterials with controllable porosity and thickness for enhanced lithium-ion batteries performance

Mn2O3 has been demonstrated to be a promising electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. Thus, the fabrication of Mn2O3 nanomaterials with high specific capacity and cycling stability is greatly desired. Here we report a simple but effective method to synthesis Mn2O3 nanomaterials from a Mn(OH)(2) precursor, which was prepared from manganese acetate in ethylene glycol and water at 180 degrees C for 12 h. The morphology and sheet thickness of Mn(OH)(2) precursor could be tuned by controlling the ethylene glycol/H2O volume ratio, resulting in a further tunable morphology and sheet thickness of the porous Mn2O3 nanomaterials. In the electrochemical tests the prepared Mn2O3 nanomaterials, with the porous architecture and thin thickness exhibited a high and stable reversible capacity, indicating that both small thickness and porous sheets structure are crucial for improving the electrochemical performance of Mn2O3 in terms of specific capacity and stability.