High-Performance MnSe/MnO@NCNFs Hybrid Cathode for Advanced Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries via Phase and Morphology Engineering

Manganese-based cathode materials have emerged as particularly attractive candidates for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) owing to their economic advantages and enhanced electrochemical operating windows. However, their practical application remains hindered by their poor electrical conductivity, structural degradation during cycling, and manganese dissolution issues, which collectively lead to sluggish ion and electron transport kinetics and pronounced capacity fading. In this paper, an innovative heterostructured cathode material comprising MnSe/MnO nanocomposites uniformly embedded within nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (MnSe/MnO@NCNFs) is reported. The material is fabricated through precisely controlled electrospinning and subsequent in-situ selenization. When employed as a cathode material for AZIBs, the MnSe/MnO@NCNFs electrode demonstrated remarkable electrochemical performance, achieving an outstanding reversible capacity of 429 mAh g⁻¹ and dominant capacitive-controlled charge storage behavior with enhanced charge-transfer kinetics. This exceptional performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of three key features: i) the complementary interaction between the highly conductive MnSe phases and the structurally robust MnO components, ii) the presence of oxygen vacancies that substantially facilitated Zn²⁺ diffusion, and iii) the interconnected N-doped carbon network that ensured efficient electron transport.