Nanoboxes with a porous MnO core and amorphous TiO2 shell as a mediator for lithium–sulfur batteries

Abstract

Nanoboxes with a porous MnO core and amorphous TiO₂ shell have been synthesized via a wet-chemistry method for the first time. The uniqueness of this material is the core–shell nanostructure composed of a crystalline porous core of MnO and amorphous shell of TiO₂. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported MnO–TiO₂ core–shell nanocubes with different Ti : Mn molar ratios demonstrated excellent performance as high-capacity cathode materials for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. These porous core–shell nanocomposite structures with trapped S crystals also offer a good model to investigate the morphological and structural effects of nanocomposites and their influence on the capacity and stability of Li–S batteries.