Using Peanut Shells to Construct a Porous MnO/C Composite Material with Highly Improved Lithium Storage Performance

Rational utilization of biomass waste in creating new clean energy such as lithium-ion batteries is conducive to alleviating the energy crisis and boosting environmental protection. Herein, using peanut shells as the carbon source, a MnO/C composite material was successfully prepared through an eco-environmental and facile approach based on hydrothermal treatment and pyrolysis. The resultant MnO/C composite material demonstrated a hierarchical porous structure and MnO particles with irregular morphology were embedded in the pores. When used in a lithium-ion battery, the material exhibited much better lithium storage properties than those for pristine MnO and peanut shell-derived carbon. In 0.0-3.0 V, the composite material can supply an initial specific capacity of 1169.5 mA h g(-1), with a capacity retention ratio of 84.9 % after 200 electrochemical cycles. Even at 2400 mA g(-1), the material can still offer a discharge capacity of 532.3 mA h g(-1), manifesting an outstanding rate performance. The enhanced lithium storage properties of the composite material are attributed to the support of the porous carbon matrix derived from peanut shells, which are not only conducive to improving conductivity but also capable of buffering the volume expansion/shrinkage caused by lithiation/delithiation during charge/discharge processes.