Twofold ion effect to develop PANI@MgCoO2 nanocomposites for magnesium batteries

Abstract

Abstract A cost-effective method for obtaining polyaniline coated magnesium cobalt oxide nanocomposites (PANI@MgCoO2) as potential cathode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMB) is reported. Structural characterizations confirm the presence of a thin layer of conducting polymer on the particles of the cubic oxide that enhanced the cycling life of the battery as compared to the pristine material. To develop the electrochemical performance a twofold combination of sodium and magnesium ion is employed. The 1­5%PANI@MgCoO2 nanocomposites exhibited enhanced reversible capacity (103.4 – 153 mA h g-1) at ~ 1 V vs. Mg2+/Mg as compared to pristine material. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed a single-phase insertion/extraction reaction mechanism into/from the cubic structure. These results establish a useful methodology for employing PANI coating on other oxides with applicability in batteries.