Architecting V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> with a Triune Crystal Water-Amorphous-Crystalline Feature for Robust Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Zhao, Zhenzhen; Liu, Miao; Liu, Fuxi; Jing, Haifeng; Xu, Boning; Song, Kexin; Zhang, Wei; Zheng, Weitao · Nano Lett · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The notorious collapse of the electrode structure and strong electrostatic interactions in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) limit the achievement of a long cycle life. Herein, by designing an ordered/disordered hybrid structure, we have effectively preserved the integrity of the V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·1.6H<sub>2</sub>O (VOH) electrode. Moreover, our approach facilitates the release of stress concentration contributed to by the amorphous component, alleviating the strong electrostatic interaction merited by crystal water and promoting the diffusion kinetics of Zn<sup>2+</sup> assisted by the crystalline component. Noteworthy, the crystal water serves as an interlayer pillar significantly enhancing the structural stability of the electrode. As a result, our VOH electrode exhibits high electrochemical performance. It delivered 227.8 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> at a higher current density of 2 A g<sup>-1</sup>, and a high cycle life of 1000 cycles with 95% capacity retention was achieved at a current density of 1 A g<sup>-1</sup>.