The Enhanced Lithium-Storage Performance for MnO Nanoparticles Anchored on Electrospun Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Fibers

Manganese monoxide (MnO) is a promising anode material in the lithium-ion battery for its high capacity, low operation potential, and environmental benignity. However, its application is impeded by poor rate capability and rapid capacity fading. In this work, a MnO/carbon hybrid material, in which small-sized MnO nanoparticles are tightly anchored on carbon fibers (denoted as MnO@CFs), was prepared by annealing the electrospun precursor fibers at 650 °C. When applied as the anode material of the Li-ion battery, the small size of MnO shortens the Li-ion diffusion path, and the carbon fibers not only greatly improve the conductivity but also efficiently buffer the MnO structure strain during the charge–discharge process, endowing the MnO@CFs electrode with a good rate capability (185 mAh g(−1) at 5 A g(−1)) and cyclic stability (406 mAh g(−1) after 500 cycles at 1.0 A g(−1)).