Sol–gel-template synthesis of ZnO nanotubes and its coaxial nanocomposites of LiMn2O4/ZnO

The coaxial nanostructure composite materials of LiMn2O4 nanowires encapsulated in ZnO nanotubes are fabricated successfully via sol–gel method by using two-step template process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) results conformably show that the synthesized ZnO nanotubes possess the explicit end-opened tubular structure in uniform out diameter and wall thickness. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analysis jointly demonstrate that the main body of the fabricated coaxial composites is spinel structure LiMn2O4. It is expected that the two-step template process can be used to mass-produce coaxial LiMn2O4/ZnO nanocomposite materials as a novel cathode materials in lithium ion battery.