A silver and manganese dioxide composite with oxygen vacancies as a high-performance cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Abstract

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as a promising alternative for energy storage due to their safety, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. Manganese dioxide is considered a promising cathode material for energy storage because of its abundant reserves and high energy density. However, its inherent low electronic conductivity and limited cycling performance due to structural instability hinder its further development. Herein, a silver and manganese dioxide composite (Ag@MnO₂) enriched with oxygen vacancies was prepared by a simple liquid-phase reduction method. The introduction of silver particles facilitates the improvement of electrical conductivity, and the incorporation of oxygen vacancies helps change the surface properties of manganese dioxide, providing additional active sites for ion transport, enhancing the overall electrochemical kinetics, and further improving the battery performance. As a result, the Ag@MnO₂ cathode exhibits an astonishingly high capacity of 353 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.1 A g⁻¹ and a capacity retention of 78% after 1500 cycles. Additionally, electrochemical and structural analyses have revealed that the Ag@MnO₂ cathode undergoes a reversible and stable process of H⁺ and Zn²⁺ insertion/extraction.