Hongbo Geng, Professor, from the School of Materials Engineering recently published a paper in Advanced Functional Materials (IF= 15.621) as the front cover
Hongbo Geng, Professor, from the School of Materials Engineering recently published the title " Electronic Structure Regulation of Layered Vanadium Oxide via Interlayer Doping Strategy toward Superior High-Rate and Low-Temperature Zinc-Ion Batteries " in Advanced Functional Materials (IF= 15.621) as the front cover.
Thesis link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.201907684
Abstract: Currently, development of suitable cathode materials for zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) is plagued by the sluggish kinetics of Zn2+ with multivalent charge in the host structure. Herein, it is demonstrated that interlayer Mn2+-doped layered vanadium oxide (Mn0.15V2O5·nH2O) composites with narrowed direct bandgap manifest greatly boosted electrochemical performance as zinc-ion battery cathodes. Specifically, the Mn0.15V2O5·nH2O electrode shows a high specific capacity of 367 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 as well as excellent retentive capacities of 153 and 122 mAh g-1 after 8000 cycles at high current densities up to 10 and 20 A g-1, respectively. Even at a low temperature of -20 oC, a reversible specific capacity of 100 mAh g-1 can be achieved at a current density of 2.0 A g-1 after 3000 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance originates from the synergistic effects between the layered nanostructures and interlayer doping of Mn2+ ions and water molecules, which can enhance the electrons/ions transport kinetics and structural stability during cycling. With the aid of various ex-situ characterization technologies and density functional theory calculations, the zinc-ion storage mechanism can be revealed, which provides fundamental guidelines for developing high-performance cathodes for ZIBs.
Hongbo Geng is currently a professor in School of Materials Engineering in Changshu Institute of Technology. His research interests are on lithium (sodium)-ion batteries, aqueous zinc-ion batteries, etc. Prof. Geng has published 70+ peer reviewed papers in journals including Advanced Materials, iScience, Matter, Advanced Functional Materials and ACS Nano.
