Microwave-assisted synthesis of Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for high performance supercapacitors

One-step microwave-assisted synthetic route for the fabrication of Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles@reduced graphene oxide (Mn₃O₄@rGO) nanocomposites has been demonstrated. The morphological structures of the nanocomposites are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. All of the results indicate that the microwave-assisted synthesis results in the growth of Mn₃O₄ and the reduction of graphene oxide simultaneously in ethylene glycol-water system. The specific capacitance of the as-prepared Mn₃O₄@rGO nanocomposite is higher than those of rGO and pure Mn₃O₄, which indicates the synergetic interaction between rGO and Mn₃O₄. The nanocomposites also have good rate capability and cycling stability in electrochemical experiments. This facile technique may be extended to the large scale and cost effective production of other composites based on graphene and metal oxide for many applications.