Interfacial defect engineering via combusted graphene in V2O5 nanochips to develop high-rate and stable zinc-ion batteries

Abstract

With the increasing demand of energy sources, various electrical devices have attracted considerable attention. Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) represent an attractive choice in the battery industry owing to their unique properties of a high specific capacity, reliable safety, and eco-friendliness. However, the practical application of ZIBs is hindered owing to the unstable energy storing reactions of the vanadium-based cathode, which occur because of the limited electrochemical capacity and kinetics. In this study, we formulated an original strategy based on defect engineering to form interface-defective V2O5 nanochips by using combusted graphene in the electrospun polyacrylonitrile fiber template method. This framework exhibits a high specific capacity, rate capability, and long-tern cycling stability, with a high energy density of 437 W h kg-1 at a power density of 450 W kg- 1. These improvements can be attributed to the acceleration of the diffusion kinetics of zinc ions and electrical conductivity of the electrode via the interfacial Vo and facilitation of the active and stable receptivity of electrochemical reactions between electrons and zinc ions through the provision of interfacial open channels. The proposed approach can promote the development of a promising cathode electrode for high-rate and stable ZIBs as next-generation energy technologies.