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Nucleation-Controlled Synthesis and a Unified Descriptor for Rational Interlayer Design of Vanadium-Oxide Cathodes
Xuanhe Fan1, Yan Zhang1, Guobin Lai1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Green and Efficient Development of Phosphorus Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|July 3, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a mild, scalable synthesis for ammonium vanadate (NH4V4O10) cathodes in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). They identified a descriptor for interlayer cation stabilization, enabling high capacity and long cycle life for energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are crucial for grid-scale energy storage but face limitations in cathode development.
- Current cathode synthesis methods, like hydrothermal preparation for NH4V4O10 (NVO), are energy-intensive and hinder scalability.
- The role of intercalated cations in stabilizing vanadium oxide structures is not well understood, impacting performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a mild, scalable, and cost-effective synthesis strategy for NVO cathodes.
- To elucidate the interlayer-ion chemistry and identify effective stabilizing cations for NVO.
- To enhance the electrochemical performance of NVO cathodes for practical AZIB applications.
Main Methods:
- A nucleation-kinetics-driven, pH-controlled supersaturation strategy was employed for NVO synthesis.
- A comparative investigation of various cations intercalated into NVO was conducted.
- A unified descriptor, weighted ionic potential (δ = Z/r × EN), was established to quantify cation stabilizing effects.
- Redox-active molecules were co-intercalated into Al3+-stabilized NVO to further improve performance.
Main Results:
- A mild and scalable synthesis method for NVO was successfully established.
- The weighted ionic potential descriptor effectively correlates cation properties with NVO stabilization.
- Co-intercalation into Al3+-stabilized NVO significantly enhanced Zn2+ transport and charge storage.
- The optimized cathode achieved high specific capacities (∼420 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, 248 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (∼83% retention over 8000 cycles).
Conclusions:
- The developed synthesis strategy enables scalable production of high-performance NVO cathodes for AZIBs.
- Descriptor-guided interlayer design is a powerful approach for optimizing cathode materials.
- This work paves the way for advancing practical and high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
