In Situ Synthesis of Mn 3 O 4 Nanoparticles on Hollow Carbon Nanofiber as High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Battery Anode

The practical applications of Mn 3 O 4 in lithium‐ion batteries are greatly hindered by fast capacity decay and poor rate performance as a result of significant volume changes and low electrical conductivity. It is believed that the synthesis of nanoscale Mn 3 O 4 combined with carbonaceous matrix will lead to a better electrochemical performance. Herein, a convenient route for the synthesis of Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles grown in situ on hollow carbon nanofiber (denoted as HCF/Mn 3 O 4 ) is reported. The small size of Mn 3 O 4 particles combined with HCF can significantly alleviate volume changes and electrical conductivity; the strong chemical interactions between HCF and Mn 3 O 4 would improve the reversibility of the conversion reaction for MnO into Mn 3 O 4 and accelerate charge transfer. These features endow the HCF/Mn 3 O 4 composite with superior cycling stability and rate performance if used as the anode for lithium‐ion batteries. The composite delivers a high discharge capacity of 835 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA g −1 , and 652 mA h g −1 after 240 cycles at 1000 mA g −1 . Even at 2000 mA g −1 , it still shows a high capacity of 528 mA h g −1 . The facile synthetic method and outstanding electrochemical performance of the as‐prepared HCF/Mn 3 O 4 composite make it a promising candidate for a potential anode material for lithium‐ion batteries.