Calix[6]quinone as high-performance cathode for lithium-ion battery

Abstract

Organic quinone compounds have attracted wide attention due to their high theoretical capacities. Here, a novel cyclic macromolecular calix[6]quinone (C6Q), which possesses 6 p -quinone units and can provide 12 electrochemical active sites, has been applied as a promising cathode material in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The as-fabricated LIBs exhibited an initial specific capacity as high as 423 mA h g−1 ( C theo = 447 mA h g−1 ) at 0.1 C . After 100 cycles, the capacity of C6Q maintained at 216 mA h g−1 , and even after 300 cycles, C6Q still achieved a high specific capacity of 195 mA h g−1 with negligible capacity fading (as compared with the 100th cycle). Due to the large capacity and wide electrochemical window, C6Q can deliver a specific energy up to 1201 W h kg−1 . In addition, the method of immobilizing C6Q with ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) CMK-3 could further enhance the electrochemical performance of C6Q.