The Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of ZnMn2O4 Hollow Microspheres as Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

ZnMn2O4 hollow microspheres have been prepared via a template-free solvothermal method and their growth mechanism is discussed. The as-synthesized samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is found that the solvothermal reaction parameters such as the reaction temperature and reaction solvent have crucial effects on the structure and morphology of the samples. When the reaction was heated at 140 degrees C for 6 h, the ZnMn2O4 hollow microspheres with the diameter of about 3 mu m were obtained in the mixed solvents of ethanol and water, whereas the aggregate ZnMn2O4 nanoparticles with the size of about 250 nm were achieved in the ethanol medium. The electrochemical properties of the as-synthesized samples as anode materials of lithium-ion batteries is also investigated. The results display that the unique ZnMn2O4 hollow microspheres exhibited higher initial discharge capacity and better rate capacity than that of the ZnMn2O4 nanoparticles, indicating its promising application as anode materials for Li-ion batteries.