Deciphering H + /Zn 2+ co‐intercalation mechanism of MOF‐derived 2D MnO/C cathode for long cycle life aqueous zinc‐ion batteries

Abstract Poor conductivity, sluggish ion diffusion kinetics and short cycle life hinder the further development of manganese oxide in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs). Exploring a cathode with high capacity and long cycle life is critical to the commercial development of AZIBs. Herein, a two‐dimensional (2D) MnO/C composite derived from metal organic framework (MOF) was prepared. The 2D MnO/C cathode exhibits a remarkably cyclic stability with the capacity retention of 90.6% after 900 cycles at 0.5 A·g −1 and maintains a high capacity of 120.2 mAh·g −1 after 4500 cycles at 1.0 A·g −1 . It is demonstrated that MnO is converted into Mn 3 O 4 through electrochemical activation strategy and shows a Zn 2+ and H + co‐intercalation mechanism. In general, this work provides a new path for the development of high‐performance AZIBs cathode with controllable morphology.