Interface engineering V2O5@PANI nanotube for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries offer safe and cost-effective energy storage, yet their energy density requires improvement. While vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) possesses attractive redox activity, its practical implementation is hindered by structural instability and limited cycling performance. Core-shell V₂O₅@PANI nanotubes are fabricated via <i>in situ</i> polymerization to enhance Zn²⁺ diffusion and structural resilience. This architecture facilitates interfacial charge transfer and stabilizes the host framework during cycling. The optimized cathode achieves a high capacity of 462.4 mAh g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1 with 96.5% capacity retention over 500 cycles. This work demonstrates a synergistic combination of nanostructural control and interfacial engineering, providing a generalizable materials design strategy for advanced electrochemical energy storage systems.