Carbonized Ganoderma Lucidum/V2O3 Composites as a Superior Cathode for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Abstract

In response to the suboptimal electrochemical performance of low-valence vanadium oxides, Ganoderma lucidum biomass-derived carbon@V2O3 (V2O3@CGL) composites were prepared by evaporative self-assembly technology and high-temperature calcination. In the prepared composites, V2O3 effectively encapsulates CGL, serving as a support for V2O3 and enhancing electrical conductivity and structural stability. This results in improved overall performance for the composites. They revealed satisfactory electrochemical properties when assembled in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). The preliminary discharge specific capacity of the V2O3@CGL-2 (VOCG-2) composite electrode reached 407.87 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1. After 1000 cycles, the capacity retention is 93.69% at 3 A g−1. This research underscores the feasibility of employing V2O3 and abundantly available biomass for high-performance AZIB cathodes.