Multifunctional Zinc Vanadium Oxide Layer on Metal Anodes Via Ultrathin Surface Coating for Enhanced Stability in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

An ultrathin zinc vanadium oxide (ZVO) layer is introduced onto a Zn anode surface using a surface-coating method. This ZVO layer is shown to inhibit corrosion of the Zn anode and promote uniform Zn deposition. Consequently, the ZVO-coated Zn (ZVO@Zn) anode significantly enhances the performance and stability of zinc ion batteries (ZIBs), demonstrating long-term cycling stability for 1000 h in a Zn symmetric cell at 2 mA cm^-2. Additionally, the ZVO@Zn||MnO₂ cell shows improved capacity retention and rate capabilities in full-cell tests. The ZVO@Zn||MnO₂ cell achieves specific capacities of 227.3 and 131.8 mAh g^-1 at 0.3 and 2 C, respectively, compared to those of the bare Zn||MnO₂ cell. Furthermore, the ZVO@Zn||MnO₂ cell demonstrates relatively stable cycling without significant initial capacity decay, thereby indicating its enhanced long-term performance. This work presents a promising approach for accelerating the development and enhancing the performance and reliability of ZIBs.