Electrode
materials that act through the electrochemical conversion
mechanism, such as metal selenides, have been considered as promising
anode candidates for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), although their
fast capacity attenuation and inadequate electrical conductivity are
impeding their practical application. In this work, these issues are
addressed through the efficient fabrication of MnSe nanoparticles
inside porous carbon hierarchical architectures for evaluation as
anode materials for LIBs. Density functional theory simulations indicate
that there is a completely irreversible phase transformation during
the initial cycle, and the high structural reversibility of β-MnSe
provides a low energy barrier for the diffusion of lithium ions. Electron
localization function calculations demonstrate that the phase transformation
leads to high charge transfer kinetics and a favorable lithium ion
diffusion coefficient. Benefitting from the phase transformation and
unique structural engineering, the MnSe/C chestnut-like structures
with boosted conductivity deliver enhanced lithium storage performance
(885 mA h g–1 at a current density of 0.2 A g–1 after 200 cycles), superior cycling stability (a
capacity of 880 mA h g–1 at 1 A g–1 after 1000 cycles), and outstanding rate performance (416 mA h g–1 at 2 A g–1).
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