Carbonized Ganoderma Lucidum/V₂O₃ Composites as a Superior Cathode for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

In response to the suboptimal electrochemical performance of low-valence vanadium oxides, Ganoderma lucidum biomass-derived carbon@V₂O₃ (V₂O₃@CGL) composites were prepared by evaporative self-assembly technology and high-temperature calcination. In the prepared composites, V₂O₃ effectively encapsulates CGL, serving as a support for V₂O₃ and enhancing electrical conductivity and structural stability. This results in improved overall performance for the composites. They revealed satisfactory electrochemical properties when assembled in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). The preliminary discharge specific capacity of the V₂O₃@CGL-2 (VOCG-2) composite electrode reached 407.87 mAh g^-1 at 0.05 A g^-1. After 1000 cycles, the capacity retention is 93.69% at 3 A g^-1. This research underscores the feasibility of employing V₂O₃ and abundantly available biomass for high-performance AZIB cathodes.