Pristine and transition-metal-doped Mn3O4 nanocrystals shaped in octahedrons have been synthesized by hydrothermal reduction of potassium permanganate and characterized by SEM/TEM, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical experiments. The results reveal that a multistep reduction process is taking place, and the introduction of doping ions causes a direct synthesis of single-phase Mn3O4 nanocrystals. To assess the properties of Mn3O4 nanocrystals for their use in supercapacitors, cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charging-discharging measurements are performed. The phase stability during cycling and charge-transfer behavior are greatly improved by doping with transition metal, and Cr-doped Mn3O4 nanocrystals exhibit a maximum specific capacitance of 272 F g(-1) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1). These doped Mn3O4 nanocrystals could be a promising candidate material for high-capacity, low-cost, and environmentally friendly electrodes for supercapacitors. In addition, these results have verified the ability of doping to improve capacitive performances of spinel-structured transition-metal oxides.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.