Activation‑boosted ternary V3O4/Fe3O4/V1.5Fe(CN)6 composites on carbon cloth for high-performance aqueous zinc‑ion batteries

Aqueous zinc‑ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for safe and low‑cost energy storage, yet their practical application is hindered by limited cathode cyclability and poor low‑temperature performance. Herein, a ternary composite of V 3 O 4 /Fe 3 O 4 /V 1.5 Fe(CN) 6 nanorods is directly grown on carbon cloth via a simple hydrothermal method. The electrode exhibits a unique activation behavior: its specific capacity gradually increases by more than 300% during the initial galvanostatic charge‑discharge cycles, reaching 530.1 mAh/g at 1 A/g. Ex situ XRD and XPS reveal that activation induces lattice expansion and an increase in V 4 + and Fe 3+ contents without phase transformation. The VF‑20 electrode delivers exceptional long‑term stability (89% retention after 4200 cycles at 4 A/g) and remarkable low‑temperature performance (69 mAh/g at −40 °C and 0.1 A/g). This work provides a new paradigm of activation‑driven performance enhancement for multiphase cathodes in AZIBs.