Coaxial MnO/N-doped carbon nanorods for advanced lithium-ion battery anodes

MnO nanorods encapsulated by N-doped carbon are prepared, using polypyrrole-coated MnOOH nanorods as both a template and a precursor. The resulting coaxial nanorods have a one-dimensional shape, nanoscale size and an N-doped carbon coating within one particle, which substantially improves their electrochemical performance. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the coaxial nanorods of MnO/N-doped carbon deliver a specific capacity of 982 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 500 mA g(-1) after 100 cycles, higher than the values for pure MnO nanostructures and MnO/C nanocomposites. At a current density of 5000 mA g(-1), the reversible capacity of the coaxial nanorods could be as high as 372 mA h g(-1).