where i is the redox peak current and 𝜈 the scan rate. When the value of b is ~ 0.5 the charge storage process is diffusion limited, while when b ~ 1 the charge storage has a capacitive nature. The first two oxidation peaks and the two corresponding reduction peaks (peaks 1,2,4 and 5 in Figure ) have b values close to 0.5 (Table and Figure -e,f), and they can be associated with the intercalation of Zn 2+ ions into the layered structure of VS2, similarly to a previous report. Differently, the redox peaks at higher potentials (peaks 3 and 6 in Figure ) have broader shape and the b values is closer to 1 (0.73 and 0.74 respectively). The latter suggests the presence of pseudocapacitive processes, likely to be associated with the surface oxidation of the VS2 cathode. As evidenced by ex-situ XRD (Figure ), there is no significant variation in the VS2 peaks when the material is charged to different potentials, which support the evidence of the cathode stability during the first charging cycle. The shift in the (001) peak associated with zinc intercalation and reported in previous literature cannot be resolved using ex-situ techniques, probably owing to the relaxation of the material during sample preparation. Interestingly, a peak at ~ 23º appears at higher charge states, and it could be attributed to the (222) reflection of elemental sulfur, which can plausibly originate from the generation of sulfur vacancies in the material. From XPS analysis during charge (Figure ), the predominant oxidation state of V remains 4+, although a V 5+ component also appears as a result of the surface oxidation process. During discharge, a doublet associated with V 3+ appears, which can be related to the creation of sulfur vacancies.