VO2-C Materials Prepared from Citric Acid Organic Skeleton as C Matrix as Anode for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

Designing and synthesizing aqueous zinc ion battery cathode materials with high specific capacity and stability remains a significant challenge. In this study, citric acid was selected as the reducing agent for converting V2O5 to VO2 within a carbon matrix using the hydrothermal method. Citric acid acts as a nucleocrystal, forming nanoparticles through self-assembly from within, creating a distinct micromorphological structure in V4+ materials. It exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as a cathode material for aqueous zinc ion batteries, showing a high specific capacity of 399.33 mAh g-1 at 1A g-1, and a capacity retention of up to 98.3% after cycling for 1000 cycles at a high current density of 5A g-1.