A high capacity MnFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite for Li and Na-ion battery applications

Abstract

A porous MnFe2O4/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite with high storage capacity was prepared by a hydrothermal method. The MnFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical characteristics with lithium as well as sodium were studied using cyclic voltammetry and a battery cycle tester. In this work, apart from the lithium storage, the sodium storage ability of the spinel type MnFe2O4 as an anode is demonstrated for the first time. The prepared MnFe2O4/rGO composite with sodium alginate binder shows a highly stable capacity of 905 mA h g(-1) versus Li/Li+ and 258 mA h g(-1) versus Na/Na+ at 0.1C rate. The enhancement in capacity and excellent cycleability of the MnFe2O4/reduce graphene oxide nanocomposite is due to constrained volume expansion during conversion reactions and enhancement of electrical conductivity.