Manganese Dioxide Nanostructure : Synthesis and Charaterization for Supercapacitor Applications

Abstract

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) is getting attention due to its potential in energy storage devices, especially supercapacitors. The high operating potential window in conjunction with large surface area and moderate ionic conductivity in nanogeometries make this material attractive for supercapacitor application. We synthesized ? and ?- MnO2 materials in nanogeometries using novel low cost solution route. The phase and microstructure of the synthesized materials were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic measurements. The diameter of synthesized ?- MnO2 nanorods is in the range of ?10-14 nm and length ? 50 nm. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and FTIR measurements were carried out to understand thermal and optical properties of synthesized materials. The cyclic voltammetry measurements were carried out and the specific capacities of optimized ? and ?- MnO2 nanomaterials are ?125 F/g, whereas the same is ? 12.5 F/g for bulk ?- MnO2electrode material. These studies show that ?- MnO2 nanorods may exhibit enhanced specific capacity, equivalent to ?- MnO2 nanoparticle electrode materials.