The formation of three-dimensional phosphorus-doped MoO2/C nanostructures for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries

MoO₂ is considered as a promising cathode for zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) due to its high electronic conductivity, high theoretical capacity, and other advantages. However, MoO₂ shows significant volume changes during ion insertion/de-insertion, leading to a decrease in battery cycling performance. In this paper, a novel P-MoO₂/C heterostructure was prepared by introducing carbon skeleton in situ and phosphorus doping subsequently. Due to the rigid carbon structure and oxygen vacancies, the structural degradation of MoO₂ was inhibited during the zinc ions intercalation/de-intercalation. Compared with the undoped MoO₂/C and commercial MoO₂, P-MoO₂/C demonstrates a superior cycle stability including a high initial discharge specific capacity of 197.3 mAh·g⁻¹ at 0.1A·g⁻¹ and 60.8 % capacity retention after 200 cycles at 1A·g⁻¹. This works provides a new pathway for the design of specialized structures as well as the enhancement of zinc storage capabilities of MoO_2.