Reversible multi-electron redox chemistry of organic salt as anode for high-performance Li-ion/dual-ion batteries

Abstract

Organic electrode materials are attracting increasing attention for rechargeable secondary batteries because of their low cost, high capacity, nontoxic and environmentally friendly. Herein, we report an excellent anode of a novel organic hexalithium salt of mellitic acid (Li6C12O12) for lithium-ion battery (LIB)/dual-ion battery (DIB). A combination of electrochemical and spectroscopic studies verifies a reversible coordination reaction mechanism based on carboxylic carbonyl and Li+ ions. Li6C12O12 delivers large reversible capacities of 730 mA h g−1 at 0.21 A/g and 372 mA h g−1 even at 2 A/g. Furthermore, the Li6C12O12 electrode enables LiFePO4//Li6C12O12 full LIB and graphite//Li6C12O12 full DIB to exhibit high capacity and good cycling stability. This work presents a new perspective on designing and tailoring organic electrode materials to build high-performance lithium-ion batteries/dual-ion batteries.