Porous Carbon-Coated Fe-Doped MnO as High-Performance Cathode for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

Ion doping is a feasible approach to enhance the stability and cycling performance of manganese-based materials. However, limited research has been conducted on Fe-doped manganese-based oxides. The present study represents the first successful synthesis of a composite material, namely porous carbon-coated Fe-doped MnO (Fe-MnO/C), achieved through annealing FeMn-based metal-organic frameworks. The electrochemical performance is enhanced by Fe doping, as the presence of Mn-O-Fe bonds facilitates charge transfer and mitigates structural collapse, thereby resulting in improved rate capability and cycling stability. The Fe-MnO/C-3 cathode achieves a maximum energy density of 249.6 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 130.6 W kg⁻¹ and demonstrates a high specific capacity of 134 mAh g⁻¹ even after undergoing 800 cycles at 1.0 A g⁻¹. The study presents a cost-effective and convenient approach to fabricate a high-performance cathode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.