Electrodeposited ZnO coatings suffer severe capacity fading when used as conversion anodes in sealed Li cells. Capacity fading is attributed to (i) the large charge transfer resistance, R ct (300-700) and (ii) the low Li + ion diffusion coefficient, D + Li (10 −15 to 10 −13 cm 2 s −1). The measured value of R ct is nearly 10 times higher and D + Li 10-100 times lower than the corresponding values for Cu 2 O, which delivers a stable reversible capacity.