Mn₃O₄ Nanocrystals: Facile Synthesis, Controlled Assembly, and Application

Abstract

We report a facile process for the controllable synthesis of the Mn3O4 nanocrystals with different sizes and shapes, which includes dots, rods, and wires in the presence of the surfactants dodecanol and oleylamine. It is notable that the uniform-sized nanocrystals were achieved under mild experimental conditions and the common inorganic salt, such as manganese(II) nitrate, was adopted as the precursor. Furthermore, the as-prepared monodisperse nanocrystals, as ideal building blocks, can be rationally assembled into three-dimensional (3D) Mn3O4 colloidal spheres, using a facile ultrasonication strategy. In particular, the 3D colloidal spheres can be successfully converted to LiMn2O4 nanocrystals, which show distinct electrochemical performance, mainly depending on their crystallinity and size.