New formidable zinc battery holds over 82% charge after 1,000 cycles

Researchers from the University of Jinan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have developed a novel cathode material, FA-VOPO₄ nanosheets, that significantly enhances the performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). By intercalating formamide molecules into vanadyl phosphate’s layered structure, they expanded the interlayer spacing to 9.3 angstroms and created hydrogen bonds with residual water molecules. This structural modification improved the material’s stability, ion transport efficiency, and charge transfer properties, addressing key limitations such as poor cycling stability and sluggish ion diffusion that have hindered AZIB commercial viability. The FA-VOPO₄ cathodes demonstrated remarkable electrochemical performance, achieving a specific capacity of 463 mAh/g and a volumetric capacity of 733 mAh/cm³ at moderate mass loading, which is about eight times higher than unmodified VOPO4·2H2O. Even at higher mass loading, the material maintained strong volumetric capacity (535