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Mn3O4/carbon nanotube nanocomposites recycled from waste alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries as high-performance energy materials

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Abstract

Alkaline zinc manganese dioxide (Zn–MnO2) batteries are widely used in everyday life. Recycling of waste alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries has always been a hot environmental concern. In this study, a simple and cost-effective process for synthesizing Mn3O4/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites from recycled alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries is presented. Manganese oxide was recovered from spent Zn–MnO2 battery cathodes. The Mn3O4/CNT nanocomposites were produced by ball milling the recovered manganese oxide in a commercial multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrates that the nanocomposite has a unique three-dimensional (3D) bird nest structure. Mn3O4 nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed on MWCNT framework. Mn3O4/CNT nanocomposites were evaluated as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, exhibiting a highly reversible specific capacitance of ~580 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, Mn3O4/CNT nanocomposite also shows a fairly positive onset potential of −0.15 V and quite high oxygen reducibility when considered as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21671096 and 21603094), the Shenzhen Peacock Plan (No. KQCX20140522150815065), the Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen (Nos. JCYJ20150630145302231 and JCYJ20150331101823677) and the Science and Technology Innovation Foundation for the Undergraduates of South University of Science and Technology of China (Nos. 2016S10, 2016S20, 2015x19 and 2015x12).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Green and Renewable Energy Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, South University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, China

    Li-Hua Zhang, Si-Si Wu, Yi Wan, Yi-Feng Huo, Yao-Cong Luo, Ming-Yang Yang, Min-Chan Li & Zhou-Guang Lu

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  1. Li-Hua Zhang
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  2. Si-Si Wu
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Correspondence to Zhou-Guang Lu.

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Zhang, LH., Wu, SS., Wan, Y. et al. Mn3O4/carbon nanotube nanocomposites recycled from waste alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries as high-performance energy materials. Rare Met. 36, 442–448 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-017-0902-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-017-0902-0

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