Achieving mesoporous MnO2@polyaniline nanohybrids via a gas/liquid interfacial reaction between aniline and KMnO4 aqueous solution towards Zn-MnO2 battery

The aqueous Zn-MnO2 battery has been extensively studied due to its inherent merits of safety, low cost and environmental friendliness. Tremendous efforts have been made to improve the capacity and cycling stability of MnO2 cathode. Herein, the mesoporous MnO2@polyaniline nanohybrids were synthesized by using a facile and eco-friendly gas/liquid interfacial reaction between aniline vapor and KMnO4 aqueous solution. Owing to the birnessite-type and mesoporous structure, as well as the synergistic effect between MnO2 and polyaniline, the MnO2@polyaniline nanohybrids achieved excellent Zn-storage performance, for instance, distinguished capacity (313 mA h g–1 at 0.1 A g–1) and cycling stability (188 mA h g–1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 A g–1). The MnO2@polyaniline nanohybrids featured with facile and eco-friendly synthesis show prominent competiveness as high-performance cathode for Zn-MnO2 battery.