Mechanical force-driven growth of metastable VO2 (B) bundles of nanorods as a long cycle life cathode material for zinc ion batteries

Due to its high energy density, safety and low-cost, zinc ion batteries are considered as one of the alternatives to lithium -ion batteries. The metastable phase VO 2 (B) is a highly sought-after active material due to its high discharge specific capacity, remarkable rate performance, and rapid diffusion kinetics. Herein, VO 2 (B) nanorod materials are prepared using a novel solvothermal approach coupled with mechanical force assistance. The developed VO 2 (B) nanorod synthesized at 200 rpm (V@200 rpm) exhibit a substantial specific capacity of 300 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 , excellent rate capability of 171 mAh g -1 at 2 A g -1 and prolonged cyclic stability (capacity fading rate of 0.025 per cycle after 1000 cycles), providing a straightforward and efficient approach to enhancing the capacity, rate performance, and cycle stability of ZIBs.