α-MnO2 nanorods grown in situ on graphene as catalysts for Li–O2 batteries with excellent electrochemical performance

Through in situ nucleation and growth of α-MnO2 nanorods on graphene nanosheets (GNs), a α-MnO2 nanorod/GN hybrid was synthesized and employed as the catalyst for non-aqueous lithium oxygen (Li–O2) batteries. The α-MnO2/GN hybrid showed excellent catalytic property. It was demonstrated that the catalytic performance of α-MnO2 for ORR and OER was not only associated with the morphology and size of the particles but also with their combination with graphene. The developed in situ synthetic strategy can also be applied to prepare analogous MOx/GN hybrids used in Li–O2 batteries and other energy storage systems.