Synergy of Multi‐Covalent Bonds Enabling High‐Performance Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Battery Cathodes Toward Industrial‐Grade Mass Loading and Broad‐Temperature Adaptability
The pursuit of high-performance cathode materials that are capable of operating reliably under industrially relevant conditions remains a formidable challenge for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Here, we tackle this challenge by proposing a novel strategy-synergistic bond engineering-which represents a conceptual advance that departs from conventional approaches. This strategy is materialized in a vanadium oxide cathode, where the deliberate integration of multi-covalent bonds (O─N─O and N─V) triggers a powerful synergy, enabling efficient operation from baseline to demanding conditions. Through comprehensive simulations and in situ/ex situ characterizations, we elucidate the synergetic mechanism of these bonds: the O─N─O bonds accelerate Zn<sup>2+</sup> diffusion via electrostatic shielding and provide abundant active sites via dynamic reconstruction, while the N─V bonds serve as structural pins that suppress vanadium dissolution and ensure structural integrity. Therefore, the cathode delivers an ultrahigh capacity of 624 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> at 0.1 A g<sup>-1</sup> and exceptional cycling stability (73% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles at 20 A g<sup>-1</sup>). Crucially, it achieves a record-high capacity of 504 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> under a high mass loading of ≥7 mg cm<sup>-2</sup>, along with substantial capacities of 117 and 308 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> at 0°C and 60°C, demonstrating the great promise of this "bond-level" design strategy.
Authors
- Minghao Guo
- Dixiang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9532-8409)
- Ye Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8473-6538)
- Hu Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5738-8382)
- Yunfeng Chai
- Weijuan Wang
- Kan Zhang
- Genxi Yu
- Haijiao Xie
- Daijie Zhang
Institutions
- Jiangsu University (CN)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- Changzhou Institute of Technology (CN)
- Hangzhou DAC Biotech (China) (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2026-03-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.72906
- Primary Topic
- Advanced battery technologies research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00