Accelerated ion/electron transport kinetics and increased active sites via local internal electric fields in heterostructured VO_(2)–carbon cloth for enhanced zinc-ion storage

Although the performance of the self-standing electrode has been enhanced for aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs),it is necessary to explore and analyse the deep modification mechanism(especially interface effects).Herein,density functional theory(DFT)calculations are applied to investigate the high-performance cathode based on the VO_(2)/carbon cloth composites with heterostructures interface(H-VO_(2)@CC).The adsorption energy comparisons and electron structure analyses verify that HVO_(2)@CC has extra activated sites at the interface,enhanced electrical conductivity,and structural stability for achieving highperformance AZIBs due to the presence of built-in electric field at the interfaces.Accordingly,the designed self-standing HVO_(2)@CC cathode delivers higher rate capacity,longer-life cyclability,and faster electronic/ion transmission kinetics benefiting from the synergistic effects.The risks of active material shedding and dissolution during the dis/charge process of two cathodes were evaluated via ex-situ ultraviolet–visible(UV–vis)spectrum and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy(ICP-AES)technique.Finally,this investigation also explores the charge storage mechanism of H-VO_(2)@CC through various exsitu and in-situ characterization techniques.This finding can shed light on the significant potential of heterostructures interface engineering in practical applications and provide a valuable direction for the development of cathode materials for AZIBs and other metal-ion batteries.