Boosting the Cycling Stability of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries through Nanofibrous Coating of a Bead-like MnOx Cathode

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are close complements to lithium-ion batteries for next-generation grid-scale applications owing to their high specific capacity, low cost, and intrinsic safety. Nevertheless, the viable cathode materials (especially manganese oxides) of AZIBs suffer from poor conductivity and inferior structural stability upon cycling, thereby impeding their practical applications. Herein, a facile synthetic strategy of bead-like manganese oxide coated with carbon nanofibers (MnO_x-CNFs) based on electrospinning is reported, which can effectively improve the electron/ion diffusion kinetics and provide robust structural stability. These benefits of MnO_x-CNFs are evident in the electrochemical performance metrics, with a long cycling durability (i.e., a capacity retention of 90.6% after 2000 cycles and 71% after 5000 cycles) and an excellent rate capability. Furthermore, the simultaneous insertion of H⁺/Zn²⁺ and the Mn redox process at the surface and in the bulk of MnO_x-CNFs are clarified in detail. Our present study not only provides a simple avenue for synthesizing high-performance Mn-based cathode materials but also offers unique knowledge on understanding the corresponding electrochemical reaction mechanism for AZIBs.