Ant-nest-like CuSe@C with biomimetic channels boosts the cycling performance for lithium storage.

Controlling the microstructure and composition of electrodes is crucial to enhance their rate capability and cycling stability for lithium storage. Inspired by the highly interconnected network and good mechanical integrity of an ant-nest architecture, herein, a biomimetic strategy is proposed to enhance the electrochemical performance of Cu2-xSe. After facile carbonization and selenization treatments, the 3D Cu-MOF is successfully transformed into the final ant-nest-like Cu2-xSe@C (AN-Cu2-xSe@C).

A hierarchical structure of a CoSe@NC/ZnSe@NC yolk-double-shell polyhedron for long-term lithium storage.

Constructing nanostructures with multi-components and delicate architecture exhibits huge potential to improve the lithium storage performance of electrodes. Herein, we report a novel yolk-double-shell structure with complex chemical compositions. Starting with a core-shell structured Co-ZIF@ZnCo-ZIF as a precursor via a simple selenization process, yolk-double-shell polyhedra that assembled by nanosized CoSe@N-doped carbon as the yolk and the first shell and nanosized CoSe@N-doped carbon and ZnSe@N-doped carbon hetero-components as the second shell (marked as CoSe@NC/ZnSe@NC-YDS) are synthesized.