Ultrahigh-energy and -power aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion microbatteries based on highly cation-compatible vanadium oxides

• Published in: Journal of materials science & technology 2022-09, Vol.120, p.159-166
• Main Authors: Wang, Sheng-Bo, Ran, Qing, Wan, Wu-Bin, Shi, Hang, Zeng, Shu-Pei, Wen, Zi, Lang, Xing-You, Jiang, Qing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aqueous rechargeable batteries; Metal/oxide composites; Microbatteries; Multivalent metal ions; Nanoporous metals
• ISSN: 1005-0302; 1941-1162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2022.01.007

•Aqueous Zn-ion microbatteries are constructed by nanoporous metal/oxide electrodes.•Cation insertion/extraction kinetics depends on host/guest compatibility.•ZnxV2O5 supported by nanoporous Au shows the highest capacity and rate capability.•Zn-ion microbatteries of nanoporous Au/ZnxV2O5 outperform the present microdevices. Aqueous multivalent-metal-ion intercalation chemistries hold genuine promise to develop safe and powerful microbatteries for potential use in many miniaturized electronics. However, their development is beset by state-of-the-art electrode materials having practical capacities far below their theoretical values. Here we demonstrate that high compatibility between layered transition-metal oxide hosts and hydrated cation guests substantially boost their multi-electron-redox reactions to offer higher capacities and rate capability, based on typical bipolar vanadium oxides preintercalated with hydrated cations (MxV2O5). When seamlessly integrated on Au current microcollectors with a three-dimensional bicontinuous nanoporous architecture that offers high pathways of electron transfer and ion transport, the constituent ZnxV2O5 exhibits specific capacity of as high as ∼527 mAh g−1 at 5 mV s−1 and retains ∼300 mAh g−1 at 200 mV s−1 in 1 M ZnSO4 aqueous electrolyte, outperforming the MxV2O5 (M = Li, Na, K, Mg). This allows aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion microbatteries constructed with symmetric nanoporous ZnxV2O5/Au interdigital microelectrodes as anode and cathode to show high-density energy of ∼358 mWh cm−3 (a value that is forty-fold higher than that of 4 V/500 μAh Li thin film battery) at high levels of power delivery. [Display omitted]