Self‐Sacrifice Template Construction of Uniform Yolk–Shell ZnS@C for Superior Alkali‐Ion Storage

Abstract Secondary batteries have been widespread in the daily life causing an ever‐growing demand for long‐cycle lifespan and high‐energy alkali‐ion batteries. As an essential constituent part, electrode materials with superior electrochemical properties play a vital role in the battery systems. Here, an outstanding electrode of yolk–shell ZnS@C nanorods is developed, introducing considerable void space via a self‐sacrificial template method. Such carbon encapsulated nanorods moderate integral electronic conductivity, thus ensuring rapid alkali‐ions/electrons transporting. Furthermore, the porous structure of these nanorods endows enough void space to mitigate volume stress caused by the insertion/extraction of alkali‐ions. Due to the unique structure, these yolk–shell ZnS@C nanorods achieve superior rate performance and cycling performance (740 mAh g −1 at 1.0 A g −1 after 540 cycles) for lithium‐ion batteries. As a potassium‐ion batteries anode, they achieve an ultra‐long lifespan delivering 211.1 mAh g −1 at 1.0 A g −1 after 5700 cycles. The kinetic analysis reveals that these ZnS@C nanorods with considerable pseudocapacitive contribution benefit the fast lithiation/delithiation. Detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicate that such yolk–shell ZnS@C anode is a typical reversible conversion reaction mechanism accomplished by alloying processes. This rational design strategy opens a window for the development of superior energy storage materials.