Imine-based conjugated polymer enables efficient removal of ammonium ion via capacitive deionization

Abstract

The design of innovative faradaic electrode materials is crucial for improving the removal efficiency of contaminants in hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) systems. Organic compounds are a promising choice for faraday electrodes due to the sustainable production and tunable molecular structure. However, their high solubility in aqueous media and limited availability of redox-active sites for deionization greatly constrain the HCDI applications. Herein, we intentionally construct a conjugated polymer (IMP) with abundant imine groups, in which the strategic integration of N-heteroaromatic rings within the π-conjugated framework effectively prevents the disintegration of redox-active entities, while honing the energy bandgap and electronic characteristics. The copious redox-active CN sites within the imine groups along the polymeric chain markedly improve its capacity for the high-efficiency (de)intercalation of NH4+ ions. As an electrode material, the IMP polymer exhibits a significant NH4+-storage capacitance of 257.1 F g−1 at 2 A g−1 and maintains an ultra-cycle stability of 96.1 % after 10,000 cycles (4 A g−1), as evidenced by the in-situ spectral analysis of electrolyte. For real applications, a HCDI configuration has been constructed with a high specific NH4+ adsorption capacity of 119.0 mg g−1 and a fast removal rate of 27.0 mg g−1 min−1 with stable regeneration performance.