ZnV₂O₄: A potential anode material for sodium-ion batteries

A template-free solvothermal method was employed to successfully obtain ZnV₂O₄ spinel oxide and its electrochemical properties as anode materials for sodium ion battery system were investigated for the first time. The structural, morphological, elemental composition, electrochemical properties and theoretical calculations of the as-prepared ZnV₂O₄ were carried out. XRD revealed the presence of ZnO and VO₂ impurities when synthesized for 1 day, while complete formation of ZnV₂O₄ was attained when the synthesis procedure was increased to 3 days. When cycled at 50 mA/g, it delivered an initial capacity of as high as 537 mAh/g at a potential window of 0.01–3.0 V. Meanwhile, a reversible capacity of ∼ 113 mAh/g was obtained when cycled at 100 mA/g for 30 cycles. These results indicate the potential applications of ZnV₂O₄ as anode materials for sodium ion battery systems.