Cu@Cu₃₁S₁₆ cathode for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion battery

Abstract Among various battery systems, aqueous zinc-ion batteries demonstrate significant potential for large-scale energy storage applications. However, the relatively large radius of zinc ions makes it challenging for them to intercalate into cathode materials, resulting in a limited variety of host materials suitable for Zn 2+ storage. Therefore, researching appropriate cathode materials is a crucial component of the practical application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. In this study, we prepare two binderless, conductor-less, current collector materials Cu@Cu 31 S 16 cathodes, by in-situ etching of copper foil with a polysulfide precursor solution. The results indicate that Cu 31 S 16 not only exhibits excellent stability and conductivity but also features rapid ion migration kinetics and low Zn 2+ diffusion barriers.