Nano-Micro Letters

High-Performance Wide-Temperature Zinc-Ion Batteries with K+/C3N4 Co-Intercalated Ammonium Vanadate Cathodes

Authors: Daming Chen, Jimin Fu, Yang Ming, Wei Cai, Yidi Wang, Xin Hu, Rujun Yu, Ming Yang, Yixin Hu, Benjamin Tawiah, Shuo Shi, Hanbai Wu, Zijian Li, Bin Fei

NH4V4O10 (NVO) is considered a promising cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, its practical application is limited by irreversible deamination, structural collapse, and sluggish reaction kinetics during cycling. Herein, K+ and C3N4 co-intercalated NVO (KNVO-C3N4) nanosheets with expanded interlayer spacing are synthesized for the first time to achieve high-rate, stable, and wide-temperature cathodes. Molecular dynamics and experimental results confirm that there is an optimal C3N4 content to achieve higher reaction kinetics. The synergistic effect of K+ and C3N4 co-intercalation significantly reduces the electrostatic interaction between Zn2+ and the [VOn] layer, improves the specific capacity and cycling stability. Consequently, the KNVO-C3N4 electrode displays outstanding electrochemical performance at room temperature and under extreme environments. It exhibits excellent rate performance (228.4 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1), long-term cycling stability (174.2 mAh g−1 after 10,000 cycles at 20 A g−1), and power/energy density (210.0 Wh kg−1 at 14,200 W kg−1) at room temperature. Notably, it shows remarkable storage performance at −20 °C (111.3 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1) and 60 °C (208.6 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1). This strategy offers a novel approach to developing high-performance cathodes capable of operating under extreme temperatures.