Manganese alchemy: Atomic-scale doping to miniaturize cobalt oxide in nanofiber architecture for ultra-fast lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are essential for modern portable electronics and future mobility solutions, yet improving fast-charging capabilities and cycling stability remains a considerable challenge. This study investigates a new strategy to enhance LIB anode performance by incorporating manganese (Mn)-doped (0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 at.%) cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanofibers. Mn doping facilitates the downsizing of Co3O4 nanograins interconnected along the one-dimensional nanofibers by inducing lattice distortions and creating oxygen vacancies, which improve electronic conductivity and reactivity. The integration of Mn dopants into the Co3O4 host reduces grain size, shortens Li+ diffusion pathways, and increases the Li-ion accessible area, thereby enhancing electron/Li+ transport and cycling stability. The LIB cell with the optimized Mn doping level (0.2 at.%) achieves minimized side reactions, a high specific capacity of 1237 mAh g- 1 at 500 mA g- 1 after 300 cycles, and an impressive capacity of 490 mAh g- 1 even at an extremely high current density of 5 A g-1. This study advances LIB anode design through tailored doping engineering to control grain size, achieving desired structural and electrochemical properties and providing valuable insights for sustainable energy technologies.