This rarely encountered solid is structurally similar to that of iron pyrite (FeS2).

Analogous to the description of iron pyrite, manganese diselenide is sometimes viewed as being composed of Mn2+ and Se22− ions, although being a semiconductor, MnSe2 is not appropriately described in formal oxidation states.

The energy difference (Δ 2p) of 11.7 eV confirms the presence of Mn4+ ions in the sample.

[3] No peaks for Mn2+ ions were observed at 640–641 eV, which confirmed the formation of only the Mn4+ oxidation state with a d3 electronic configuration.

The Se 3d spectra were deconvoluted into two well‐defined peaks (3d5/2 and 3d3/2) at a binding energy of 54.46 and 55.31 eV, respectively.