Vanadium Pentoxide Nanofibers/Carbon Nanotubes Hybrid Film for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) with the characteristics of low production costs and good safety have been regarded as ideal candidates for large-scale energy storage applications. However, the nonconductive and non-redox active polymer used as the binder in the traditional preparation of electrodes hinders the exposure of active sites and limits the diffusion of ions, compromising the energy density of the electrode in ZIBs. Herein, we fabricated vanadium pentoxide nanofibers/carbon nanotubes (V2O5/CNTs) hybrid films as binder-free cathodes for ZIBs. High ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity were enabled in the V2O5/CNTs film due to the porous structure of the film and the introduction of carbon nanotubes with high electronic conductivity. As a result, the batteries based on the V2O5/CNTs film exhibited a higher capacity of 390 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1, as compared to batteries based on V2O5 (263 mAh g−1). Even at 5 A g−1, the battery based on the V2O5/CNTs film maintained a capacity of 250 mAh g−1 after 2000 cycles with a capacity retention of 94%. In addition, the V2O5/CNTs film electrode also showed a high energy/power density (e.g., 67 kW kg−1/267 Wh kg−1). The capacitance response and rapid diffusion coefficient of Zn2+ (~10−8 cm−2 s−1) can explain the excellent rate capability of V2O5/CNTs. The vanadium pentoxide nanofibers/carbon nanotubes hybrid film as binder-free cathodes showed a high capability and a stable cyclability, demonstrating that it is highly promising for large-scale energy storage applications.

High-Capacity and Long-Lifespan Aqueous LiV3O8/Zn Battery Using Zn/Li Hybrid Electrolyte

“…Recently, many kinds of materials have been reported as cathode electrodes for AZIBs, including manganese-based oxides [9][10][11], vanadium-based oxides [12][13][14][15], phosphates [16,17], Prussian blue analogues [18][19][20], organic compounds [21][22][23], etc. Among them, vanadiumbased oxides show great potential as cathode materials for high-performance AZIBs due to their suitable operation voltage and high capacity.…”

The Synthesis of Manganese Hydroxide Nanowire Arrays for a High-Performance Zinc-Ion Battery

“…As shown in Figure 5 f, the diffusion coefficients of Mn(OH) 2 nanowire arrays are 4.5 × 10 −8 ~1.0 × 10 −9 cm 2 s −1 and 1.0 × 10 −9 ~2.7 × 10 −11 cm 2 s −1 for charging and discharging processes, respectively, reflecting the rapid ionic diffusion kinetics. Compared with other referenced cathode materials ( Table S1 ), the diffusion coefficients of Mn(OH) 2 nanowire arrays were higher than the Zn 2+ ion diffusion coefficient in MnO 2 [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 47 , 48 ], V 2 O 5 [ 20 , 21 , 49 , 50 , 51 ] and that in other related materials [ 24 , 25 , 52 ]. The high Zn 2+ ion diffusion coefficients also benefited from the specific configuration in which the vertically aligned arrangement was beneficial to electron transport and the free space between the nanowires, which can provide more ion-diffusion pathways.…”

Controlled Tin Oxide Nanoparticles Encapsulated in N-Doped Carbon Nanofibers for Superior Lithium-Ion Storage

“…With the rapid development of electric vehicles (EVs) and portable electronic devices, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been in great favor with high energy density, long cycle life, and environmental benignity. − Currently, graphite, due to its excellent electrochemical performance, is widely used as the anode electrode of commercial LIBs. However, graphite material could not demand ever-increasing cruising ability of EV and portable electronic devices due to its low specific theoretical capacity (372 mA h g –1 ). − Therefore, various anode candidates have been investigated, such as SiO x @C, Co 3 O 4 , − ZnO, Fe 2 O 3 @C, − Ge/C, MoS 2 , and so forth, which deliver remarkable electrochemical performances.…”