Defect engineering on VO2(B) nanoleaves/graphene oxide for the high performance of cathodes of zinc-ion batteries with a wide temperature range

Designing cathodes with long service life, remarkable rate capability and all-climate workable is crucial to improve the performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, we constructed a vanadium dioxide/graphene oxide (VO 2 (B)/GO) sample that combines VO 2 with GO through hydrothermal route and can simultaneously provide rate capability. VO 2 (B)/GO is rich in oxygen vacancies , which weakens the electrostatic force , and GO prevents vanadium oxidation . Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate oxygen vacancies can offer more storage sites with increased reaction kinetics. The electrode exhibited a high reversible capacity of 423 mAh g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 and preserved long-life cycling properties at 15 A g −1 . The presence of oxygen vacancies and GO can contribute to the excellent performance and prevent the structure of VO 2 from collapsing during cycling. We successfully lit up commercial light-emitting diode (LED) lights with a VO 2 (B)/GO electrode. In addition, VO 2 (B)/GO exhibits excellent performance in all-climate conditions (-15-60 °C). This combinatorial design strategy provides a broadly applicable approach for durability and all-climate workable batteries .