Mechanism of Charge/Discharge of Poly(vinylphenothiazine)-Based Li–Organic Batteries

Abstract

Organic electrode materials are among the promising next generation compounds for battery energy storage as a greener and cheaper alternative to transition-metal-based electrodes. A prominent class among them are redox polymers, which can reversibly store energy and can be capable of fast redox processes. Nevertheless, drawbacks are their often low specific energy and lifetime. A main challenge is their solubility in battery electrolytes, which is detrimental to cell performance. Herein, we discuss the solubility properties of a polyvinyl-based redox polymer with a methylphenothiazine side group (PVMPT) in organic-solvent-based battery electrolytes and generate new insights into the mechanism of the redeposition process of dissolved active material. We addressed the mechanistic studies of this “polymer–electrolyte cross-talk” with microscopic and spectroscopic methods. These findings are important for the molecular design of new organic electrode materials, since the redeposited polymer showed improved cy...