Morphology-dependent electrochemical performance of MnO₂ nanostructures on graphene towards efficient capacitive deionization

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an emerging desalination technology that still needs further development to enhance its performance for practical implementation. Herein, we present a hybrid CDI approach, which integrates the electrical double-layer (EDL) with the sodium-ion battery concept to improve the separation of sodium and chloride ions from saline water. The hybrid CDI cell is achieved by using hydrothermally-grown and uniformly dispersed prawn-like α-MnO₂/graphene (α-MnO₂/G) nanocomposite as anode material, and graphene at the cathode. In this paper, the effect of MnO₂ morphology on the electrode electrochemical performance and its effect on capacitive deionization performance have been fully investigated. In this configuration, the Na⁺ ions are inserted by the electrochemical reaction at the α-MnO₂/G electrode, whereas Cl⁻ ions are captured by the graphene-based electrode. The morphological dependent electrochemical properties of the obtained nanocomposites were studied deeply through CV and EIS analysis. The established hybrid CID cell provides an electrical capacitance as high as 375 F g⁻¹ at 10 mV s⁻¹, cation-selectivity, good electrical stability and low internal resistance. The hybrid CDI device also shows a stable and reversible salt insertion/de-insertion capacity up to 29.5 mg g⁻¹ at 1.2 V. These results demonstrate the suitability of prawn-like α-MnO₂/G nanocomposite to produce high-performance hybrid CDI cells.