Zn-doped MnO nanowires displaying plentiful crystalline defects and tunable small cross-sections for an optimized volcano-type performance towards supercapacitors.

MnO-based nanomaterials are promising large-scale electrochemical energy storage devices due to their high specific capacity, low toxicity, and low cost. However, their slow diffusion kinetics is still challenging, restricting practical applications. Here, a one-pot and straightforward method was reported to produce Zn-doped MnO nanowires with abundant defects and tunable small cross-sections, exhibiting an outstanding specific capacitance.