Ultrathin δ-MnO2 nanosheets as cathode for aqueous rechargeable zinc ion battery

Abstract Ultrathin δ-MnO2 nanosheets were synthesized via in-situ reduction of KMnO4 on graphene oxide using graphene oxide as both reductant and self-sacrificing template. The layered δ-MnO2 nanosheets with a thickness of about 2–4 nm inherit the two-dimensional lamellar morphology of graphene oxide. When used as cathode for aqueous zinc ion batteries, the prepared δ-MnO2 nanosheets exhibit a reversible capacity of 133 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g over 100 cycles and a capacity of 86 mAh/g at 500 mA/g due to the layered structure and ultrathin morphology, which is much better than δ-MnO2 microspheres. The electrochemical and structural investigation indicates a possible mechanism of two-step co-insertion of H+ and Zn2+ into the interlayer of δ-MnO2 during discharge process. It's believed that the unique ultrathin morphology of δ-MnO2 can well facilitate ion diffusion and structure stability during cycling, making ultrathin δ-MnO2 nanosheets a promising cathode in aqueous zinc ion batteries.