Bio-derived 4-electron-accepting carbonyl-N-methylpyridinium species for high-performance lithium-organic batteries

Abstract

Structural diversity and low cost make organic materials ideal candidates for next-generation energy storage applications. To obtain high-performance electrode materials for lithium (Li)-organic batteries, the identification of suitable organic molecules that exhibit multiple and stable redox states, limited solubility, and improved conductivity is critical. The leverage of bio-derived redox-active motifs holds great promise due to their built-in functionality and availability from natural resources. Here, we report the structural evolution from naturally occurring, two-electron accepting carbonylpyridinium units into four-electron accepting small organic molecules and their incorporation into high-performance polymers. Impressively, CP2 -based electrode can read up to 807 mAh g −1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A g −1 . The superior battery performance rivals that of state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and opens the door toward significantly broadening the impact of this critical energy-storage technology. • Bio-derived four-electron-accepting carbonyl-pyridinium building blocks are designed • Donor-acceptor structure enhances electronic conductivity and battery performance • Polymerization exhibits improved cycling stability and rate performance Bio-derived redox-active motifs hold great promise in next-generation energy storage applications due to their built-in functionality and availability from natural resources. Here, Wang et al. report the structural evolution from naturally occurring, electron-accepting carbonylpyridinium units into four-electron-accepting small organic molecules and conjugated polymers for high-performance lithium (Li)-organic batteries.