Ultrafast Tailoring Amorphous Zn_0.25V₂O₅ with Precision-Engineered Artificial Atomic-Layer 1T′-MoS₂ Cathode Electrolyte Interphase for Advanced Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Vanadium (V)-based oxides as cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) still encounter challenges such as sluggish Zn²⁺ diffusion kinetics and V-dissolution, thus leading to severe capacity fading and limited life span. Here, we designed an ultrafast and facile colloidal chemical synthesis strategy based on crystalline Zn_0.25V₂O₅ (c-ZVO) to successfully prepare a-ZVO@MoS₂ core@shell heterostructures, where atomic-layer MoS₂ uniformly coats on the surface of amorphous a-ZVO. The tailored amorphous structure of a-ZVO provides more isotropic pathways and active sites for Zn²⁺, thus significantly enhancing the Zn²⁺ diffusion kinetics during charge–discharge processes. Meanwhile, as an efficient artificial cathode electrolyte interphase, the precision-engineered atomic-layer MoS₂ with semi-metallic 1T′ phase not only contributes to improved electron transport but also effectively inhibits the V-dissolution of a-ZVO. Therefore, the prepared a-ZVO@MoS₂ and conceptually validated a-V₂O₅@MoS₂ derived from commercial c-V₂O₅ exhibit excellent cycling stability at an ultralow current density (0.05 A g⁻¹) while maintaining good rate capability and capacity retention. This research achievement provides a new effective strategy for various amorphous cathode designs for AZIBs with superior performance.