Colloidal silicon dioxide assisted ethylene glycol combustion synthesis of mesoporous zinc manganate for lithium ions storage

Mesoporous zinc manganate (ZnMn2O4) hollow architectures made up of interlinked nanoparticles have been successfully prepared through a colloidal silicon dioxide (SiO2)-assisted ethylene glycol (EG) combustion process. The dosage of colloidal SiO2 plays a vital role in the morphology and specific surface area (SSA). The SSA of ZnMn2O4-EG-400 can achieve 163.2 m2 g−1 with the pore sizes mainly centered at 3.5, and 5.1 nm when the volume of colloidal silica is 400 μL. The hierarchical mesoporous feature of ZnMn2O4 hollow architectures makes it a potential electroactive material for lithium-ion storage. When mesoporous ZnMn2O4-EG-400 is employed in lithium-ion batteries, the mesoporous zinc manganate appears large specific capacity, remarkable rate performance, and durability. A reversible capacity of 384.4 mAh g–1 can be gained after 500 continuous galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) cycles at 1 A g–1. The outstanding lithium ions storage performance can be attributed to the high SSA and hierarchical mesoporous traits, which can afford abundant active sites, raise the contact area between Li+ and ZnMn2O4, and buffer volume change during consecutive electrochemical processes. •A colloidal SiO2-assisted EG combustion strategy was developed to the synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous zinc manganate.•The dosage of colloidal SiO2 exerts a profound effect on the SSA and pore size.•The SSA of ZnMn2O4-EG-400 could reach up to 163.2 m2 g−1 with the pore sizes mainly centered at 3.5, and 5.1 nm.•The mesoporous ZnMn2O4-EG-400 shows high reversible capacity and superior durability.