High-mass loading V3O7·H2O nanoarray for Zn-ion battery: New synthesis and two-stage ion intercalation chemistry

By Duo Chen, Mengjie Lu, Boran Wang, Hongfei Cheng, Hang Yang, Dong Cai, Wei Han, H. Fan. 2021

157 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Vanadium-based materials are promising cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). However, up to now, the detailed Zn ion intercalation mechanisms are still not fully clear. In this work, we first show a new facile synthesis approach for V3O7·H2O nanoarray cathode with large mass loadings (1.0–12 mg cm−2). An empirical model is proposed to assess the utilization ratio of active materials under different mass loadings. Then, through the combination of first-principles calculations and a series of ex-situ characterizations, we identify for the first time a two-step Zn2+ intercalation mechanism in V3O7·H2O. The stepwise and reversible intercalation process is manifested by different diffusion energy barriers and segmented electrochemical kinetics in various discharge depths. The nanoarray binder-free electrode is also applied in pouch cells which show high capacities than state-of-the-art ZIB pouch cells. This study may provide an elucidation for the disputed Zn2+ intercalation chemistry of vanadium-based cathodes in ZIBs as well as a guidance to the design of high-mass-loading battery materials.

Subfields: Automotive Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1a0ca6cda045c73b78456bce329c1aaf7a05c250