A carbonyl-based conjugated polymer as an organic cathode for sustainable lithium-ion batteries

Authors

  • LELA SKOPEC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
  • Motahareh Mohammadiroudbari Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
  • Chao Luo Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13021/jssr2023.3930

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been considered the most promising energy storage devices for various applications in portable electronics, electric transportations, and grid-scale storage systems. However, the inorganic cathode materials used in commercial LIBs cannot meet the urge to design high-performance sustainable electrode materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries. Organic electrode materials (OEMs) featuring low-cost, lightweight, and diverse chemical structures not only offer high theoretical capacity and stable cycling performance but also are safe for the environment. In this work, we designed and tested a carbonyl-based polyimide as an organic cathode in LIBs. The electrochemical performance of the polymer cathode has been investigated by several techniques such as cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests. The carbonyl groups on the naphthalene backbone undergo a multi-electron reversible redox reaction delivering high redox potential, long cycling capability, and robust reaction kinetics. Post-cycling characterizations demonstrated high stability in the morphology and chemical structure of the electrodes upon cycling. Our results suggest that developing redox-active polymers with extended conjugation structures can be a practical approach to achieving sustainability for rechargeable batteries. 

Published

2023-10-27

Issue

Section

College of Science: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

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