Mo-doped V2O5 Nanofibers for High-Performance Cathode in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have recently emerged as a promising next-generation energy storage system due to their intrinsic safety, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, with growing emphasis on developing high-capacity and stable cathode materials. In this study, we report the facile synthesis of Mo-doped V2O5 nanofibers with varying Mo concentrations (3, 5, and 10 at.%) via an electrospinning technique followed by controlled thermal annealing. The as-prepared nanofibers retain their one-dimensional morphology post-annealing, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Structural analyses using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicate the successful formation of crystalline V2O5 and the effective substitution of Mo into its lattice. Electrochemical evaluations demonstrate that Mo doping significantly improves both cycling stability and rate performance. Notably, the 5 at.% Mo-doped V2O5 nanofibers exhibit optimal performance, attributed to accelerated initial activation and enhanced structural stability. These findings highlight the potential of Mo-doping as a viable strategy to engineer high-performance cathode materials for advanced AZIB applications.