Biofunctional hollow γ-MnO microspheres by a one-pot collagen-templated biomineralization route and their applications in lithium batteries.

γ-MnO nanomaterials play an essential role in the development of advanced electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices with versatile industrial applications. Herein, novel dandelion-like hollow microspheres of γ-MnO mesocrystals have been fabricated for the first time by a one-pot biomineralization route. Recombinant collagen with unique rod-like structure has been demonstrated as a robust template to tune the morphologies of γ-MnO mesocrystals, and a very low concentration of collagen can alter the nanostructures of γ-MnO from nanorods to microspheres.