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Bioinspired Redox‐Active Catechol‐Bearing Polymers as Ultrarobust Organic Cathodes for Lithium Storage
Author(s) -
Patil Nagaraj,
Aqil Abdelhafid,
Ouhib Farid,
Admassie Shimelis,
Inganäs Olle,
Jérôme Christine,
Detrembleur Christophe
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201703373
Subject(s) - materials science , organic radical battery , anode , cathode , redox , buckypaper , lithium (medication) , electrode , electrochemistry , polymer , chemical engineering , lithium ion battery , nanotechnology , catechol , energy storage , battery (electricity) , current collector , carbon nanotube , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , metallurgy , medicine , power (physics) , physics , endocrinology , quantum mechanics , engineering , electrolyte
Abstract Redox‐active catechols are bioinspired precursors for ortho ‐quinones that are characterized by higher discharge potentials than para ‐quinones, the latter being extensively used as organic cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Here, this study demonstrates that the rational molecular design of copolymers bearing catechol‐ and Li + ion‐conducting anionic pendants endow redox‐active polymers (RAPs) with ultrarobust electrochemical energy storage features when combined to carbon nanotubes as a flexible, binder‐, and metal current collector‐free buckypaper electrode. The importance of the structure and functionality of the RAPs on the battery performances in LIBs is discussed. The structure‐optimized RAPs can store high‐capacities of 360 mA h g −1 at 5C and 320 mA h g −1 at 30C in LIBs. The high ion and electron mobilities within the buckypaper also enable to register 96 mA h g −1 (24% capacity retention) at an extreme C‐rate of 600C (6 s for total discharge). Moreover, excellent cyclability is noted with a capacity retention of 98% over 3400 cycles at 30C. The high capacity, superior active‐material utilization, ultralong cyclability, and excellent rate performances of RAPs‐based electrode clearly rival most of the state‐of‐the‐art Li + ion organic cathodes, and opens up new horizons for large‐scalable fabrication of electrode materials for ultrarobust Li storage.