Performance comparison and analysis of V2O5 materials synthesized under different precursors and the application in aqueous zinc-ion batteries

V₂O₅ has attracted considerable attention from researchers due to its unique layered structure, which is suitable for applications in the energy storage field. In this paper, V₂O₅ materials were synthesized via a hydrothermal method, and the electrochemical performance differences of materials synthesized from different precursors were compared. Electrochemical performance tests and analysis of the V₂O₅ materials revealed that those synthesized from oxalic acid required a longer hydrothermal reaction time to achieve better discharge capacity, with a maximum capacity of 457.9 mAh/g at the current density of 50 mA/g. In contrast, V₂O₅ materials synthesized from thioacetamide needed a higher hydrothermal temperature to achieve better capacity. The XRD tests show that the V₂O₅ materials synthesized from different precursors exhibit varying peak intensities on different crystal planes in their XRD patterns. The SEM tests reveal that the V₂O₅ materials synthesized from thioacetamide, compared to those from oxalic acid, have smaller particle sizes, predominantly around 300 nm. The Infrared spectroscopy and Raman tests indicate that the main peak positions in the spectra remain consistent. The XPS tests show that the V2p and O1s peaks are essentially the same, with the valence state of V being + 5. This indicates that despite the different precursors, the oxidation state of vanadium in the ultimately synthesized V₂O₅ material remains stable.