Reversible Lithium‐Ion Uptake in Poly(methylmethacrylate) Thin‐Film via Lithiation/Delithiation at In Situ Formed Intramolecular Cyclopentanedione

Abstract

Herein, it is proposed that poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), a widely‐used thermoplastic in our daily life, can be used as an abundant, stable, and high‐performance anode material for rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries through a novel concept of lithium storage mechanism. The specially‐designed PMMA thin‐film electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 343 mA h g−1 at C/25 and maintains a capacity retention of 82.6% of that obtained at C/25 when cycled at 1 C rate. Meanwhile, this pristine PMMA electrode without binder and conductive agents shows a high reversible capacity of 196.8 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.2 C with a capacity retention of 73.5%. Additionally, PMMA‐based binder is found to enhance both the reversible capacity and rate capability of the graphite electrodes. Hence, this new type of organic electrode material may have a great opportunity to be utilized as the active material or rechargeable binder in flexible or transparent thin‐film batteries and all‐solid batteries. The present work also provides a new way of seeking more proper organic electrode materials which don't contain conjugated structures and atoms with lone pair electrons required in traditional organic electrode materials.