Electrodeposition of manganese dioxide: effect of quaternary amines

The effect of quaternary ammonium salts (tetraethyl ammonium bromide, tetrapropyl ammonium bromide, and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide) on the structural, morphological, and electrochemical characteristics of electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) obtained from acidic aqueous sulfate solution has been investigated. Physical characterization of the EMD was achieved by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The charge–discharge profile of the materials was determined to evaluate their potential for alkaline battery applications. The presence of these quaternary ammonium salts as organic additives in the solution increased the current efficiency while decreasing energy consumption during electrochemical deposition of manganese dioxide (MnO₂). All the additives influenced the discharge characteristics of the EMD samples significantly, producing a cathode material with increased cumulative discharge capacity relative to EMD prepared in the absence of additives. This is attributed to the ability of the additives to affect the particle size and morphology, and therefore electrochemical activity, of electrodeposited materials; the effects in the case of the additives investigated in this work were positive, producing a material with potential application to battery technology.