Valence-Optimized Vanadium Oxide Supercapacitor Electrodes Exhibit Ultrahigh Capacitance and Super-Long Cyclic Durability of 100 000 Cycles

Abstract

Vanadium oxides (VOx) have been intensely investigated as cathode materials for SCs due to the multiple stable oxidation states (III-V) of vanadium in its oxides and typical layered structure. Nevertheless, fast capacity fading is always observed for VOx upon cycling in aqueous electrolyte. Developing an efficient strategy to essentially promote the durability of VOx in mild aqueous electrolyte remains a crucial challenge. Here, an innovative and effective method is reported to significantly boost the durability and capacitance of VOx through tuning the valence state of vanadium. The valence state of vanadium is optimized through a very facile electrochemical oxidation method. A superior electrochemical performance and an ultralong cyclic stability of 100 000 cycles are obtained for these electrodes. An in-depth study on the variation for the valence state of vanadium during the oxidation process and the cyclic stability test indicates that the long cyclic stability has an important relationship with the distribution of the valence state of vanadium.