Effect of Applying a Carbon Coating on the Crystal Structure and De-/Lithiation Mechanism of Mn-Doped ZnO Lithium-Ion Anodes

The introduction of transition metal dopants such as Fe and Co in zinc oxide enables substantially enhanced reversible capacities greater reversibility the de-/lithiation reactions occurring. Herein, we report a comprehensive analysis electrochemical processes taking place Mn-doped ZnO (Zn 0.9 Mn 0.1 O) carbon-coated Zn O upon de-/lithiation. results shed light on impact dopant chemistry and, especially, its coordination crystal structure. When manganese does not replace wurtzite structure, only moderate improvement performance is observed. However, when applying carbonaceous coating, partial reduction reallocation structure occur, leading to substantial material’s specific capacity. These provide important insights into lattice position dopants—a field that has received very little, essentially no attention, so far.