Atomically thin vanadium oxide nanosheets via top-down exfoliation for ultrafast-charging zinc-ion batteries
- 1State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Dalian 116023 China
- 2Henan Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Quantum Energy, School of Quantum Information Future Technology, Henan University Kaifeng 475001 China
- 3University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
Abstract
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a promising energy storage solution due to their high safety, environmental friendliness and low cost. Although the high ionic conductivity of aqueous electrolytes and fast kinetics of zinc plating/stripping hold promise for fast discharge/charge processes, the rate capability of AZIBs remains limited due to poor ion and electron transport in cathode materials. This study addresses this challenge by developing atomically thin vanadium oxide nanosheets (∼2 nm thickness) through a top-down exfoliation strategy using bulk ZnV6O16·nH2O. Driven by small-molecule-assisted interlayer interactions, a mild wet ball-milling and ultrasonication process effectively disrupts interlayer hydrogen bonding and enables efficient layer separation. Benefiting from the reduced thickness (layers) and weakened interlayer interactions, the exfoliated ZnV6O16·nH2O nanosheets deliver a solid-state ion diffusion coefficient nearly eight times higher than the bulk, together with a decreased diffusion barrier (84.6 meV versus 187.5 meV), promoting rapid charge storage. Finally, a high capacity of 346 mAh g−1 (4.5 times that of the bulk) at 50 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability (77% capacity retention after 30 000 cycles at 100 A g−1) are achieved in coin-type cells based on ultrathin ZVO nanosheets. Moreover, a 45 cm2 pouch cell maintains 98% capacity retention over 550 cycles, highlighting the strong potential for scalable preparation and practical application. These findings demonstrate a promising strategy for designing high-performance, fast-charging batteries, advancing grid-scale energy storage solutions.
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BibTeX
@article{jiang2026atomically,
title = {{Atomically thin vanadium oxide nanosheets via top-down exfoliation for ultrafast-charging zinc-ion batteries}},
author = {Weikang Jiang and Xiling Niu and Kaiyue Zhu and Weili Xie and Zhengsen Wang and Weishen Yang},
journal = {Chemical Science},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1039/d6sc05963e},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc05963e},
note = {CC BY 3.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Atomically thin vanadium oxide nanosheets via top-down exfoliation for ultrafast-charging zinc-ion batteries
AU - Weikang Jiang
AU - Xiling Niu
AU - Kaiyue Zhu
AU - Weili Xie
AU - Zhengsen Wang
AU - Weishen Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/07
JO - Chemical Science
DO - 10.1039/d6sc05963e
UR - https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc05963e
AB - Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a promising energy storage solution due to their high safety, environmental friendliness and low cost. Although the high ionic conductivity of aqueous electrolytes and fast kinetics of zinc plating/stripping hold promise for fast discharge/charge processes, the rate capability of AZIBs remains limited due to poor ion and electron transport in cathode materials. This study addresses this challenge by developing atomically thin vanadium oxide nanosheets (∼2 nm thickness) through a top-down exfoliation strategy using bulk ZnV6O16·nH2O. Driven by small-molecule-assisted interlayer interactions, a mild wet ball-milling and ultrasonication process effectively disrupts interlayer hydrogen bonding and enables efficient layer separation. Benefiting from the reduced thickness (layers) and weakened interlayer interactions, the exfoliated ZnV6O16·nH2O nanosheets deliver a solid-state ion diffusion coefficient nearly eight times higher than the bulk, together with a decreased diffusion barrier (84.6 meV versus 187.5 meV), promoting rapid charge storage. Finally, a high capacity of 346 mAh g−1 (4.5 times that of the bulk) at 50 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability (77% capacity retention after 30 000 cycles at 100 A g−1) are achieved in coin-type cells based on ultrathin ZVO nanosheets. Moreover, a 45 cm2 pouch cell maintains 98% capacity retention over 550 cycles, highlighting the strong potential for scalable preparation and practical application. These findings demonstrate a promising strategy for designing high-performance, fast-charging batteries, advancing grid-scale energy storage solutions.
SN - 2041-6520
SN - 2041-6539
ER -