Metal-organic framework-derived self-grown core-shell V2O5 for high-performance zinc ion storage

The nanostructure designing strategy is one of the most effective methods to carry out the optimization of cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries (ARZIBs). The design and synthesis of materials with stable nanostructure and short ion/electron transport paths are expected to alleviate the dilemma faced by vanadium-based materials, such as poor electrical conductivity and structural changes. Ostwald ripening is a promising option in the design and fabrication of special nanostructures such as hollow and core shells. Selecting vanadium-based metal-organic frameworks (V-MOF) as reactants, we successfully obtained vanadium oxide precursors with self-growing core-shell structures in one-step. As the reaction time increases, the vanadium oxide precursors undergo the process of microspheres → core-shell → yolk shell, which is thought to be the result of Ostwald ripening. After annealing, the vanadium oxide precursor becomes a "core-shell" structure vanadium pentoxide (core-shell V2O5). The ARZIBs assembled with core-shell V2O5 cathodes showed superior capacity (309.4 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g) and cycling stability (91.4 % capacity retention after 4000 cycles at 3A/g). Hence, we successfully realized the self-growth of vanadium oxide with core-shell structure in one step but also revealed the crystallization process based on Ostwald ripening and its zinc storage mechanism, which provides new possibilities for the facile synthesis of special nanostructured ARZIB cathode materials.