Microstructural study of hollandite-type MnO2 nano-fibers

A new morphology of manganese oxide in the form of nano-fibers was synthesized using a novel synthetic route, and structurally characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The obtained manganese oxide, doped with potassium, adopts a hollandite-type structure with ''few useful defects'' which provide an open tunneled structure in three-dimensions. This characteristic is actually believed to improve, to a high extent, the ionic conductivity of the material and exhibits the doped hollandite-type manganese oxide as a highly promising candidate for electrochemical applications such as rechargeable batteries. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.