The remarkable progress on polyoxometalate-based zinc battery entitled “Stable aqueous Zn−Ag and Zn−polyoxometalate hybrid battery driven by successive Ag⁺cation and polyoxoanion redox reactions [2020, DOI: 10.1016/j.ensm.2020.09.011]” reported by Prof. Zhao’s group from Henan Key Laboratory of Polyoxometalate Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, was published in the famous international journal “Energy Storage Materials” (IF=16.28).

Hybrid batteries with multiple electrochemical reactions that integrate respective advantages and remedy intricate shortages of disparate batteries are both fundamentally interesting and practically attractive. Here, an aqueous hybrid battery combining electrochemical features of Zn−Ag battery and Zn−POM battery is for the first time proposed, which is actuated by successive Ag⁺cation and polyoxoanion redox reactions in an insoluble polyoxometalate (POM)-based cathode. The unique POM-based composite material constructed from loose stacking high-nuclearity polyoxovanadate clusters and crystalline Ag nanoparticles not only provides plentiful Zn²⁺storage sites but also presents fast ion / electron diffusion kinetics. Meanwhile, the severe migration of Ag⁺ions and the dissolution of POM clusters in aqueous electrolyte are effectively inhibited. The as-fabricated hybrid battery with POM-based cathode exhibitsexcellent electrochemical performance and long life span. Thiswork presents a promising strategy for the application of POM-based electrode in aqueous batteries and provides heuristic thinking for further developing novel energy storage systems.In this work, Dr. Kai Yang is the first author. Dr. Yuanyuan Hu and Prof. Junwei Zhao are thecorresponding authors.Additionally, Henan University is firstcorrespondinginstitution.

The workwas financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Program for Innovation Teams in Science and Technology in Universities of Henan Province, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, the Major Project of Science and Technology, Education Department of Henan Province and the Program of First-Class Discipline Cultivation Project of Henan University.Moreover, the work was alsostronglysupportedbyHenanKeyLaboratory ofPolyoxometalateChemistry,College ofChemistry andChemicalEngineering.

The paper’slink:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2020.09.011