Advances and future perspectives of composite strategies in vanadium-/manganese-based cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Abstract

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have attracted much attention in recent years as an emerging and promising energy storage technology with low cost and high safety. Among the various cathode materials, vanadium-based compounds and manganese-based materials have been widely studied due to their rich resources, diverse structures and abundant valence states. However, the application of vanadium-based/manganese-based compounds is limited due to their easy structural collapse and dissolution, low conductivity, side reactions and unclear energy storage mechanism. Recent studies have found that the combination of vanadium-based/manganese-based materials and other (including carbon and non-carbon) materials is an effective strategy to solve the above problems. In this review, the research and development of vanadium-based/manganese-based composite materials in recent years are reviewed, including green synthesis strategies for composite support materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene (GO), metal–organic framework (MOF)–derived carbon, MXenes and other compound carriers. Moreover, the analysis of their synthesis methods and their advantages in reducing the use of toxic reagents are thoroughly discussed. Additionally, the zinc storage mechanisms of these composites are systematically elaborated. Finally, the future development direction of AZIBs is proposed, which is expected to stimulate more innovative research to promote the development and practical application of AZIBs.