Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Applications of Vanadium Nitrides: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives

The growing demand for sustainable energy systems has driven advancements in materials for efficient energy storage and conversion technologies. Among emerging electrode materials, vanadium nitride (VN) has attracted attention due to its high electrical conductivity, excellent chemical stability, tunable electronic structure, and abundant electrochemically active sites, making it suitable for many device applications. Synthesis strategies, composite design, and electrolyte selection play critical roles in determining the electrochemical performance of VN-based materials. This review provides a comprehensive overview of VN, including theoretical insights, various synthesis routes, and their influence on structural and electrochemical properties. The application of VN in energy storage technologies like supercapacitors, ion-batteries, and metal-ion capacitors, is systematically discussed, highlighting its high specific capacity, excellent rate capability, and long-term cycling stability. Furthermore, VN's electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, oxygen reduction, carbon dioxide reduction, and nitrogen reduction is critically evaluated, emphasizing its low overpotentials, enhanced catalytic activity, and favorable reaction kinetics. Despite these advantages, challenges like surface oxidation, structural degradation, and limitations in large-scale synthesis remain. Future perspectives on nanostructure engineering, heterostructure integration, and advanced electrolyte optimization are also extensively discussed. These characteristics position VN as a significant contender for next-generation energy storage and conversion technologies.