Interconnected Lamellar 3D Semiconductive PCP for Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc Battery Cathodes.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• 2D electronically conductive porous coordination polymers/metal-organic frameworks (2D EC-MOFs) based on M-HHTPs are attractive due to their ease of synthesis and tunable semiconductive properties.
• Existing 2D EC-MOFs suffer from reduced specific surface area and stability caused by interlayer shifts.
• There is a need for improved cathode materials for rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries (RAZBs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel vanadyl-based M-HHTP, termed VO-HHTP, using a metal-ion bridge strategy.
• To investigate the structural and electrochemical properties of VO-HHTP.
• To evaluate VO-HHTP as a cathode material for rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries (RAZBs).

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of VO-HHTP using a metal-ion bridge strategy.
• Characterization of VO-HHTP's structure and specific surface area (ca. 590 m² g⁻¹).
• Electrochemical testing of VO-HHTP as a cathode material in RAZBs.

Main Results:

• VO-HHTP exhibits vertical interconnection via octahedral VO₆ chains, leading to a high specific surface area.
• As a cathode material in RAZBs, VO-HHTP demonstrates a high capacity (240 mAh g⁻¹) and excellent rate capability.
• VO-HHTP shows superior performance compared to previous EC-MOFs and offers enhanced long-term cycling stability.

Conclusions:

• The metal-ion bridge strategy successfully produced VO-HHTP, a stable and high-performance semiconductor.
• VO-HHTP is a promising cathode material for rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries, addressing limitations of existing EC-MOFs.
• This study advances the design of π-conjugated EC-MOFs and the development of cathode materials for energy storage.