Ultrafast synthesis of single-phase Mn1-xCoxCO3/GO with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries

Transition metal carbonates (TMCs) were studied as anode material for lithium-ion battery (LIB) by virtue of the high capacity; however, low ionic conductivity, poor electronic conductivity, and unstable cycle performances hindered their applications. Therefore, in this work, single-phase Mn1-xCoxCO3 and graphene oxide composites were synthesized by an ultrafast low temperature reaction route assisted with microwave. A high specific capacity of 1204 mA h g(-1) was achieved by the composites. It also delivers 659.9 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles at 200 mA g(-1) and 476 mA h g(-1) after 500 cycles even at 1000 mA g(-1). Such preferable electrochemical performance is caused by the synergistic effect of single-phase Mn-Co crystal structure and the functionality of graphene oxide. Therefore, it is promising to obtain mixed transition metal carbonate and graphene oxide composites through ultrafast microwave solvothermal process.