Abstract: ZnMn₂O₄ is a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries with high specific capacity， but its high-rate performance and cycle life need to be improved. In this paper， ZnMn₂O₄ hollow cubes with an edge length of about 200 nm were prepared by a facile microemulsion method at room temperature followed by an annealing process. The cubes consist of interconnected nanoparticles with sizes of 30~50 nm. In order to improve the conductivity of the material， ZnMn₂O₄/rGO composite was prepared by mixing ZnMn₂O₄ with graphene oxide （GO） followed by a heat treatment. The phase composition， microstructure， lithium storage properties and mechanism of the composite were systematically investigated. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries， ZnMn₂O₄/rGO delivers discharge capacities of 1 193 and 620 mAh·g^-1 at current densities of 0.1 and 4 A·g^-1， respectively. A discharge capacity of 806 mAh·g^-1 can be achieved after 700 cycles at 1 A·g^-1. The outstanding rate performance and cycle stability can be attributed to the synergistic effect of ZnMn₂O₄ and reduced graphene oxide （rGO）. The smaller secondary cube/primary nanoparticle sizes enable the short Li⁺ diffusion distance. The hollow structure provides space for volume expansion of the material during lithiation， so that the cube can maintain its structural integrity. The rGO not only constructs a 3D electron transport network of the material to accelerate the electron transport speed， but also buffers the volume change during lithium insertion/extraction to maintain the structure stability of the material. This study provides a feasible strategy for the preparation of high-performance metal oxide anode materials.

Key words: lithium ion battery; anode material; ZnMn₂O₄; reduced graphene oxide; microemulsion method; lithium storage property