Constructing the Efficient Ion Diffusion Pathway by Introducing Oxygen Defects in Mn₂O₃ for High-Performance Aqueous...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Manganese-based cathodes are crucial for aqueous zinc-ion batteries due to high voltage and cost-effectiveness.
• Challenges include poor kinetics and capacity decay stemming from unstable chemical structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a stable and high-performance Mn-based cathode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
• To address intrinsic drawbacks of Mn-based cathodes through crystal structure modification.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized oxygen-defective manganese oxide (Oc_u-Mn₂O₃) via low-valence copper ion doping.
• Investigated material properties and electrochemical performance.

Main Results:

• Oc_u-Mn₂O₃ demonstrated enhanced ion diffusion coefficients (1 × 10^-6 to 1 × 10^-8) and good rate capability.
• Achieved 88% capacity retention over 600 cycles, indicating superior cyclic stability.
• Oxygen defects improved active sites for H⁺ insertion, boosting charge storage capacity.

Conclusions:

• Oxygen-defective Mn-based cathodes offer a viable strategy to overcome limitations in aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
• The Oc_u-Mn₂O₃ material shows significant potential for practical energy storage applications.