Conjugated poly(2-aminothiazole) hollow nanospheres as a high-performance anode for alkali-metal ion storage

Abstract

Conjugated polymer compounds are promising anode materials for rechargeable alkali-metal-ion batteries because of their high storage capacity, low resource dependence and tailorable electrochemical properties. In this work, we report the electrochemical storage of alkali-metal ions in conjugated poly(2-aminothiazole) (P2AT) nanostructures. The P2AT was prepared via a simple oxidation polymerization process. It features hollow spheric morphology and a conjugated polymer skeketon, which contribute to more exposed area for ion migration, adsorption and storage, and higher electronic/ionic conductivity. Experimental and theoretical calculation results verify that the conjugated thiazole rings in the polymer serve as active sites for metal-ion storage. Being applied as the electrode materials for Li-ion battery, the polymer enables fast electrochemical redox reaction versus Li to deliver a high reversible capacity of 533 mAh g−1 and a high Coulombic efficiency (CE) of ∼100%, and retain 90% of the capacity after 1000 cycles. The P2AT polymer also demonstrates favorable potassium-ion storage performance to ensure its use in rechargeable K-ion battery. This work offers insights on exploration of new energy storage materials for high-energy rechargeable alkali-metal-ion batteries with improved sustainability.