Hierarchical Atomic Layer Deposited V₂O₅ on 3D Printed Nanocarbon Electrodes for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ARZIBs) are promising energy storage systems owing to their ecofriendliness, safety, and cost-efficiency. However, the sluggish Zn²⁺ diffusion kinetics originated from its inherent large atomic mass and high polarization remains an ongoing challenge. To this end, electrodes with 3D architectures and high porosity are highly desired. This work reports a rational design and fabrication of hierarchical core–shell structured cathodes (3D@V₂O₅) for ARZIBs by integrating fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printing with atomic layer deposition (ALD). The 3D-printed porous carbon network provides an entangled electron conductive core and interconnected ion diffusion channels, whereas ALD-coated V₂O₅ serves as an active shell without sacrificing the porosity for facilitated Zn²⁺ diffusion. This endows the 3D@V₂O₅ cathode with high specific capacity (425 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.3 A g⁻¹), competitive energy and power densities (316 Wh Kg⁻¹ at 213 W kg⁻¹ and 163 Wh Kg⁻¹ at 3400 W kg⁻¹), and good rate performance (221 mAh g⁻¹ at 4.8 A g⁻¹). The developed 3D@V₂O₅ cathode provides a promising model for customized and scalable battery electrode engineering technology. As the ALD-coated layer determines the functional properties, the proposed strategy shows a promising prospect of FDM 3D printing using 1D carbon materials for future energy storage.