Optimized Tungsten Disulfide via Pyrolytic Deposition for Improved Zn-ion Batteries

The selection and optimization of cathode materials are crucial for enhancing the performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. In this work, different active materials were created by combining sulphur powder and polydopamine in four different mass ratios. The novel N-doped carbon/WS2 is obtained. Thanks to the optimization of the dopamine-carrying tungsten ion precursor and sulfur powder (1:2, 1:4, 1:6 and 1:8), the four samples exhibited diffenert morphology. The N-C/WS2-6-based zinc ion batteries with the highest specific capacity, 120.0 mAh/g in the first discharge at 2.0 A/g, and 78.0 mAh/g after 2500 cycles, with a capacity retention of 65%, had a relatively good overall performance, according to the results. The reaction kinetics characteristics of the N-C/WS2-6 cathode reveal that enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior facilitates the diffusion of Zn2+