In Situ Self-Anchored Growth of MnO₂ Nanosheet Arrays in Polyaniline-Derived Carbon Nanotubes with Enhanced Stability for Zn–MnO₂ Batteries

Aqueous Zn–MnO2 batteries have received much attention due to their low cost, safety, reliability, and large storage capacity. However, the sluggish ion/electron transport kinetics of bulk MnO2 inevitably decreases the rate capability and cycle stability of Zn–MnO2 batteries. Herein, hierarchical MnO2 nanosheet arrays self-anchored and grown in polyaniline-derived carbon nanotubes (PCNT@MnO2, denoted as PCMO) with enhanced stability are prepared by employing PCNT as both a substrate and a sacrificial reductant. The hollow PCNT conductive skeleton feature and robust integrated MnO2 nanosheet arrays in PCMO are not only favorable for enhancing electronic conductivity and accelerating electronic migration but also provide effective nucleation sites for the growth of MnO2 nanosheets and unimpeded ion channels, resulting in high specific capacity, rapid ion-diffusion kinetics, and long-term cycle stability. Specifically, the optimized PCMO material (PCMO-2) can deliver 264 mAh g–1 at 0.2 A g–1 after 120 cycles without obvious capacity decay, superior to the bare MnO2 material. Moreover, the as-fabricated PCMO//Zn battery can exhibit a high energy density of 320.2 Wh kg–1 at a power density of 120 W kg–1. The rational design of low-cost and integrated core–shell architecture with robust contact between MnO2 nanosheet arrays and a hollow conductive skeleton is expected to achieve cost-effective and high-performance Zn–MnO2 batteries.