Charge Storage in Cation Incorporated α-MnO2

By M. Young, A. Holder, S. George, C. Musgrave. 2014

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Electrochemical supercapacitors utilizing α-MnO2 offer the possibility of both high power density and high energy density. Unfortunately, the mechanism of electrochemical charge storage in α-MnO2 and the effect of operating conditions on the charge storage mechanism are generally not well-understood. Here, we present the first detailed charge storage mechanism of α-MnO2 and explain the capacity differences between α- and β-MnO2 using a combined theoretical electrochemical and band structure analysis. We identify the importance of the band gap, work function, the point of zero charge, and the tunnel sizes of the electrode material, as well as the pH and stability window of the electrolyte in determining the viability of a given electrode material. The high capacity of α-MnO2 results from cation induced charge-switching states in the band gap that overlap with the scanned potential allowed by the electrolyte. The charge-switching states originate from interstitial and substitutional cations (H+, Li+, Na+, a...

Subfields: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/78d38e531ba653184e8f69eaac26a7b0f5483c29