Nanoflower-like K-birnessite cathode material for high-capacity aqueous Zn-ion battery
摘要
Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have become a research hotspot due to their advantages of low cost, high safety, and environmental friendliness. K-Birnessite (KxMnO2) has been proved to be a candidate cathode material. However, the low conductivity and capacity degradation issues of δ-MnO2 limit its application. In the study, KxMnO2 (x = 0.27 and 0.31) with a nanoflower structure to improve the specific capacity has been designed, and capacity deterioration related to the evolution of Zn4SO4(OH)6·xH2O was analyzed. The capacity of K0.27MnO2 and K0.31MnO2 were 401.8 and 412.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 in the initial cycle due to the large specific surface area provided by the nanoflower structure. After 100 cycles, the specific capacity of the K0.27MnO2 electrode was 156.8 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1, with a capacity retention rate close to 80%. During cycling, Zn4SO4(OH)6·xH2O was formed on the surface of the KxMnO2 cathode and transformed from a thin slice to a cracked block, leading to slow ion transport. This work provides a perspective for high-performance cathode design in AZIBs.