Lithium-ion batteries are widely used due to their high specific energy, Coulombic efficiency, and long cycle life. However, their drawbacks, including high cost, recycling challenges, and the risk of thermal runaway under short-circuit conditions, drive the search for alternative energy storage systems. A promising direction is aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIB), which are characterized by safety, environmental friendliness, and low production cost [1].
Among cathode materials, vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) has attracted considerable attention due to its low cost and high theoretical capacity (~589 mAh/g) enabled by a two-electron redox process. Nevertheless, the application of pristine V2O5 is limited by poor electronic conductivity, long activation periods, and rapid capacity fading. One of the strategies to improve cathode performance is modification with conducting polymers, which expand interlayer spacing, facilitate intercalation of hydrated Zn2+ ions, and enhance electrical conductivity [2]. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) has proven to be the most promising among them, providing high electronic conductivity and cycling stability.
The synthesis of V2O5/polymer composites is most often performed via the hydrothermal method, though it requires high temperature and pressure. An alternative is the polymerization in solution method, which is simple and does not require specialized equipment, though it is time-consuming.