Facile in situ synthesis of PEDOT conductor interface at the surface of MnO2 cathodes for enhanced aqueous zinc-ion batteries

MnO 2 is a type of ideal cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) owing to reasonable price, innocuity, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, it plagued by the dissolution of manganese ions and poor electrical conductivity . Therefore, designing and fabricating high-performance MnO 2 based cathode materials are essential for the development of ZIBs. In this work, poly(3,4-ethoxylenedioxythiophene) coated MnO 2 (MnO 2 @PEDOT) is in situ fabricated by mixing 3,4-ethoxylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and KMnO 4 solution to restrain the dissolution of manganese ions, enhance the electronic conductivity and structural stability. As a result, MnO 2 @PEDOT composite possesses superior electrochemical performance . An outstanding capacity of 242 mA h g –1 at 0.2 A g –1 was reached, and eminent long-term stable cycling performance above 1000 cycles with the capacity retentions of 85.1% at 2 A g –1 was achieved. This study demonstrated a facile in situ synthesis strategy of MnO 2 @PEDOT, and it showed a promising potential for practical application.