H2V3O8 Nanowire/Graphene Electrodes for Aqueous Rechargeable Zinc Ion Batteries with High Rate Capability and Large Capacity

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries are considered a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage owing to their low cost and high safety nature. A composite material comprised of H2V3O8 nanowires (NWs) wrapped by graphene sheets and used as the cathode material for aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries is developed. Owing to the synergistic merits of desirable structural features of H2V3O8 NWs and high conductivity of the graphene network, the H2V3O8 NW/graphene composite exhibits superior zinc ion storage performance including high capacity of 394 mA h g(-1) at 1/3 C, high rate capability of 270 mA h g(-1) at 20 C and excellent cycling stability of up to 2000 cycles with a capacity retention of 87%. The battery offers a high energy density of 168 W h kg(-1) at 1/3 C and a high power density of 2215 W kg(-1) at 20 C (calculated based on the total weight of H2V3O8 NW/graphene composite and the theoretically required amount of Zn). Systematic structural and elemental characterization confirm the reversible Zn2+ and water cointercalation electrochemical reaction mechanism. This work brings a new prospect of designing high-performance aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries for grid-scale energy storage.