Protons and zinc ions intercalation in aqueous MnVO zinc-ion batteries

Abstract

Vanadium oxide has been regarded as one of the most promising cathode materials for aqueous zinc ions batteries (ZIBS). However, the mechanisms of ion intercalations are still hotly debated. Traditional structural and elemental characterization methods are mostly used as indirect evidence to characterize the co-intercalation of hydrogen and zinc ions. To find direct evidence for the intercalation of protons and zinc ions, this paper, using MnVO as the cathode material, demonstrated that the intercalation process produces the appearance of Zinc hydroxide sulfate (ZHS, an alkaline zinc salt) and soluble hydroxides associated with the electrolyte on the electrolyte surface.