Pre-Zincification of Sandwiched V₂O₅ to Accelerate Intercalation Kinetics and Mitigate Cathodic Passivation in Low...

The structural instability and sluggish ion-intercalative kinetics of vanadium oxide simultaneously limit its realization of advanced cathodes for practical zinc-ion batteries. Herein, a facile one-step approach was proposed for in situ transformation from bulk V₂O₅ to sandwiched nanosheets with the atomic co-inserting interlayer. The pre-intercalated organic filler could widen the intercalative channels to accommodate continuous Zn-ion diffusion and increase the surface hydrophobicity for impeding vanadium dissolution. The pre-enrichment of charge carriers weakens the electrostatic interaction between the vanadium oxide lattice and intercalated cation, leading to superior structural stability and faster cation diffusion kinetics. Accordingly, the ensemble effect further efficiently mitigates cathodic passivation and facilitates a better electrochemical response of assembled zinc-ion pouch cells with an extremely low N/P ratio of 0.5, affording an energy density of 180 Wh kg^-1. Importantly, anode-free zinc-ion full cells equipped with pre-zincificated cathodes was realized, advancing the promising practical potential of the designed cathodes.