The lithium ion storage performance of ZnSe particles with stable electrochemical reaction interfaces improved by carbon coating

Abstract Transition metal selenides have been extensively investigated in the field of energy storage and conversion, because of their unique physical and chemical properties. However, the large structural and volume change may lead to their poor electrochemical performance. In this work, the carbon coating design can effectively solve the above issues. The effect of carbon coating content on the electrochemical performance of zinc selenide is further studied. When composite has optimal ratio of ZnSe and carbon, it can present the superior cycling stability. The carbon modification not only provides three-dimensional conductive network for ZnSe particles, but also mitigates the inner stress and volume variation. More importantly, the active materials can be separated from the electrolyte by carbon coating, which can avoid side effects. This strategy might provide an effective route to address the issues of metal selenides.