Persistent Electrochemical Performance in Epitaxial VO₂(B)

Discovering high-performance energy storage materials is indispensable for renewable energy, electric vehicle performance, and mobile computing. Owing to the open atomic framework and good room temperature conductivity, bronze-phase vanadium dioxide [VO₂(B)] has been regarded as a highly promising electrode material for Li ion batteries. However, previous attempts were unsuccessful to show the desired cycling performance and capacity without chemical modification. Here, we show with epitaxial VO₂(B) films that one can accomplish the theoretical limit for capacity with persistent charging-discharging cyclability owing to the high structural stability and unique open pathways for Li ion conduction. Atomic-scale characterization by scanning transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations also reveal that the unique open pathways in VO₂(B) provide the most stable sites for Li adsorption and diffusion. Thus, this work ultimately demonstrates that VO₂(B) is a highly promising energy storage material and has no intrinsic hindrance in achieving superior cyclability with a very high power and capacity in a Li-ion conductor.