Fabrication of a Stable and Highly Effective Anode Material for Li-Ion/Na-Ion Batteries Utilizing ZIF-12

Transition metal selenides (TMSs) are receiving considerable interest as improved anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their considerable theoretical capacity and excellent redox reversibility. Herein, ZIF-12 (zeolitic imidazolate framework) structure is used for the synthesis of Cu₂Se/Co₃Se₄@NPC anode material by pyrolysis of ZIF-12/Se mixture. When Cu₂Se/Co₃Se₄@NPC composite is utilized as an anode electrode material in LIB and SIB half cells, the material demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance and remarkable cycle stability with retaining high capacities. In LIB and SIB half cells, the Cu₂Se/Co₃Se₄@NPC anode material shows the ultralong lifespan at 2000 mAg^-1, retaining a capacity of 543 mAhg^-1 after 750 cycles, and retaining a capacity of 251 mAhg^-1 after 200 cycles at 100 mAg^-1, respectively. The porous structure of the Cu₂Se/Co₃Se₄@NPC anode material can not only effectively tolerate the volume expansion of the electrode during discharging and charging, but also facilitate the penetration of electrolyte and efficiently prevents the clustering of active particles. In situ X-ray difraction (XRD) analysis results reveal the high potential of Cu₂Se/Co₃Se₄@NPC composite in building efficient LIBs and SIBs due to reversible conversion reactions of Cu₂Se/Co₃Se₄@NPC for lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage.