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.