Highly ordered hierarchical mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ with cubic Iα3d symmetry for electrochemical energy storage

Highly ordered cubic Iα3d mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ with crystalline framework was synthesized through a facile nanocasting method. The obtained mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ possesses hierarchical porosity with pore sizes of about 5 and 17 nm, respectively, and exhibits an enlarged surface area (133 m²/g) compared to binary mesoporous Co₃O₄ (98.6 m²/g) and MnO₂ (75.0 m²/g). Significantly, the hierarchical mesoporous structure of MnCo₂O₄ is beneficial for exposing more electroactive sites, improving the charge transfer and facilitating the ion transport. As a consequence, the mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ shows a high charge storage performance of 199 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 1 A/g, long cycle stability, and excellent rate capacity. This study demonstrates ordered ternary mesoporous materials with controllable porosity that have great potential for high-energy-density electrochemical energy storage.