Superior High-rate Capability Research Articles

Effects of Ti substitution for Zr on the electrochemical characteristics and structure of AB2-type Laves-phase alloys as metal hydride anodes

The structural composition and electrochemical capacity of four AB2 Laves-type intermetallic alloys with various Ti/Zr ratios (TixZr1−xLa0.03Ni1.2Mn0.7V0.12Fe0.12, x = 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, and 0.22) were investigated in this study. The alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. These data revealed the coexistence of the main phase of the C15-type FCC Laves-type AB2 compounds with a secondary La–Ni intermetallic that was present in minor amounts. Increasing the Ti substitution for Zr caused the gradual shrinkage of the unit cells of the C15 phase. The neutron powder diffraction studies demonstrated that in the trihydride (Ti, Zr, V)(Ni, Mn, Fe, V)2D3.2, D atoms filled A2B2 tetrahedra, whereas V atoms occupied not only conventional 16d sites but also partially replaced Zr/Ti at 8a sites. All studied alloys showed similar activation behaviors, wherein four cycles were required to realize the highest electrochemical capacity of the anodes. The Ti12/Zr88 alloy demonstrated excellent full discharge capacity that reached 466 mAh/g. The Ti22/Zr78 alloy electrode exhibited good cycling stability (retention rate of ~71%) after 500 cycles and a superior high-rate discharge capability (retention rate of ~71%) at a discharge current density of 400 mA/g. The cycling of the Ti22/Zr78 alloy electrode was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to understand the reasons for the deterioration of cycling capacity, which was related with the pulverization of the alloys and increase in irreversible capacity.

Electrochemical performance of Fe2(SO4)3 as a novel anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Exploring new electrode materials with high capacity, good cyclability, and low cost is of great importance for the development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, the lithium storage performance of Fe2(SO4)3 as an anode material for LIBs is investigated for the first time. The microstructure of the Fe2(SO4)3 sample is analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS measurements. The lithium storage performance of the Fe2(SO4)3 sample is characterized by discharge/charge, CV, EIS, and GITT tests. It demonstrates that the Fe2(SO4)3 has a high lithium storage capacity (delivering a stable reversible capacity of 610 mA h g−1 at 500 mA g−1), outstanding rate capability (maintaining a capacity of 400 mA h g−1 at 7000 mA g−1) and excellent cyclability (with a reversible capacity of ~540 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1000 mA g−1). The Fe2(SO4)3 electrode exhibits significant pseudocapacitive behavior during discharge/charge processes, which partially accounts for the superior high rate capability and cyclability. The lithium ions diffusion coefficient evaluated by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) ranges from 10−11 to 10−13 cm2 s−1. The results reported in this work could provide clues for exploring novel high-performance anode materials from transition metal sulfates.

The effects of Al-doped to cathode material based on hollow microspheres of nickel–manganese on sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are expected to be a great substitute for lithium ion batteries. Although there are many difficulties to overcome, SIBs have become one of the most important research areas for large-scale energy storage equipment. The spherical particles are conducive to the contact between the cathode material and the electrolyte, which could increase the electrochemical reaction area, and improve the deintercalation rate of sodium ions during charging and discharging. In this paper, a precipitation method was used to prepare spherical MnCO3 material as template and raw material. After all the raw materials were weighed with the molar ratios of Na0.67Mn0.67–0.75x Ni0.33Al x O2, a series of hollow micro-spherical sodium-ion cathode materials were synthesized by the conventional high-temperature solid-state method. The effects of Al-doped on the structure and electrochemical performance of Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 was studied, and it was founded that the samples doped with Al had smaller particle size than that without Al. The electrochemical tests showed that Na0.67Mn0.595Ni0.33Al0.1O2 (x = 0.1) exhibite superior high-rate capabilities and cyclic stability. And the hollow microsphere structure has a higher capacity, the first discharge capacity at 0.1C reach 128 mAh g−1.

Nanoporosity of Carbon-Sulfur Nanocomposites toward the Lithium-Sulfur Battery Electrochemistry.

An ideal high-loading carbon–sulfur nanocomposite would enable high-energy-density lithium–sulfur batteries to show high electrochemical utilization, stability, and rate capability. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the effects of the nanoporosity of various porous conductive carbon substrates (e.g., nonporous, microporous, micro/mesoporous, and macroporous carbons) on the electrochemical characteristics and cell performances of the resulting high-loading carbon–sulfur composite cathodes. The comparison analysis of this work demonstrates the importance of having high microporosity in the sulfur cathode substrate. The high-loading microporous carbon–sulfur cathode attains a high sulfur loading of 4 mg cm−2 and sulfur content of 80 wt% at a low electrolyte-to-sulfur ratio of 10 µL mg−1. The lithium–sulfur cell with the microporous carbon–sulfur cathode demonstrates excellent electrochemical performances, attaining a high discharge capacity approaching 1100 mA∙h g−1, a high-capacity retention of 75% after 100 cycles, and superior high-rate capability of C/20–C/3 with excellent reversibility.

Corrigendum: CTAB-Assisted Synthesis of C@Na3V2(PO4)2F3 With Optimized Morphology for Application as Cathode Material for Na-Ion Batteries

C@Na3V2(PO4)2F3 samples were obtained by using Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. The optimization of the added amount allowed controlling the eventual nanometric morphology of the particles. The morphological and structural properties of these samples were discussed in the light of solid-state techniques as X-ray diffraction, Raman and XPS spectroscopies, and electron microscopy. Galvanostatic test in sodium half-cells revealed that the nanometric spherical and porous particles provided by the addition of intermediate amounts of CTAB showed excellent cycling stability and superior high rate capability reflected in the minimization of the cell polarization and the determination of a high apparent diffusion coefficient.

Designing dual-defending system based on catalytic and kinetic iron Pyrite@C hybrid fibers for long-life room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries

The poor conductivity and severe polysulfide dissolution greatly restrict the development of room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT-Na/S) batteries. To address these issues, a dual-polysulfide-defending system based on catalytic and kinetic hybrid fibers is designed to realize high-performance and long-life for RT-Na/S batteries. The hollow carbon fibers filled with yolk-shell FeS2/C hollow nanocubes (FeS2[email protected]) are constructed as the flexible sulfur host. The highly conductive and porous network ensures fast electron/ion transports and facilitates high mass loading. More impressively, the polar FeS2 boxes ensure the strong chemical binding and high catalytic redox reaction on polysulfides, which produce the first defense on polysulfide shuttle. Meanwhile, the FeS2@C/carbon nanotubes (CNT) hybrid film works as the modifying layer on the separator, which builds the second defense to ion shuttle. Taken the advantages of both dual-polysulfide-defending system and the hierarchical polar electrode, the RT-Na/S battery achieves superior high-rate capability, long-term cycling stability and high energy storages. It obtains an ultralow capacity decay rate (0.024%) during 1000 cycles at the rate of 2C with a high mass loading of 7.6 mg cm−2. Therefore, this work not only designs a freestanding kinetic and catalytic host for sulfur electrodes, but also provides a new design on RT-Na/S batteries to realize long life, superior rate capability and high energy storage synchronously.

3D CoS2/rGO aerogel as trapping-catalyst sulfur host to promote polysulfide conversion for stable Li-S batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices owing to their low cost and high energy density. However, the shuttle effect and sluggish conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are still thorny issues for its practical application. Here, an efficient three-dimensional conductive CoS2/rGO aerogel is constructed and used as a trapping-catalyst sulfur host to improve the overall performance of Li-S batteries. CoS2 nanoparticles, uniformly in-situ anchored on rGO sheets, provide strong trapping ability to LiPSs and then catalyze its conversion, thus inhibiting the shuttle effect and accelerating the reaction kinetics. Highly conductive porous rGO aerogel ensures fast ion and electron transfer for electrochemical reaction and electrocatalysis process. As a result, the electrode exhibits a high initial capacity of 1457 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C, superior high-rate capability of 1156 mAh g−1 at 2 C, ultra-low capacity decay rate per cycle of 0.04% at 1 C for 400 cycles, and a high areal capacity of 5.7 mA h cm−2 (high sulfur loading of 6.37 mg cm−2).

Carbon-coated TiNb2O7 nanosheet arrays as self-supported high mass-loading anodes for flexible Li-ion batteries.

A TiNb2O7 anode constructed with carbon-coated nanosheet arrays on carbon cloth is prepared by a facile solvothermal process and post carbon-coating for the first time. With nanosized diffusion-length and reduced polarization resistance, this anode exhibits superior high-rate capability based on relatively high mass-loading. Meanwhile, it demonstrates excellent cycling stability and mechanical flexibility as expected from flexible Li-ion batteries.

Plasma modulated MOF-derived TiO2/C for enhanced lithium storage

• The combined strategy consisting of nano/micro-structure by MOFs and defect engineering was reported. • Energetic ion bombardment effectively increases the chemical reaction area of TiO 2 /C. • The plasma-treated sample exhibits a highly reversible capacity and rate capability. • DFT calculations and GITT tests together prove the improvement of electrical and ion conductivity. The poor conductivity of oxides such as TiO 2 is the big challenge that severely restricts their applications in the energy storage field. The rational design of their electronic structure and nano/micro structure is an effective approach to solve this problem. In this study, a combined strategy of MOF-derived nano/micro structure and defect engineering by plasma fabrication is adopted to produce a highly defective TiO 2 /C nanocomposite, which exhibits extraordinary electrochemical performance, a highly reversible capacity of 316.9 mAh·g −1 at 0.5 A·g −1 , and a superior high-rate capability of 186.1 mAh·g −1 at 10 A·g −1 . The improvement can be ascribed by the increased specific surface area of TiO 2 /C by the energetic ion bombardment in plasma that provided more active sites. More importantly, the introduction of oxygen vacancies, Ti 3+ ion and lattice distortion can improve the intrinsic conductivities, which is also verified by density functional theory calculations as well as the resistivity and GITT measurements. It is believed that the combined strategy of MOF-derived structure and plasma fabrication can be extended to other electrode materials and have great prospects in the energy industries.

Free-standing composite of NaxV2O5•nH2O nanobelts and carbon nanotubes with interwoven architecture for large areal capacity and high-rate capability aqueous zinc ion batteries

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) have drawn attractive attention due to low cost and high safety. However, further development and application of the aqueous ZIBs depend on cathode materials with large capacity, high rate and cyclic performances as well as high areal capacity. Herein, free-standing composite (named as NVO⊂CNTs 6:4) of NaxV2O5•nH2O (NVO) nanobelts and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is fabricated by hydrothermal self-assembly followed vacuum filtration and freeze-drying processes. In virtue of porous and conductive architecture, the free-standing NVO⊂CNTs 6:4 composite exhibits good proton and Zn2+ storage performance. When it is used as a cathode for the aqueous ZIBs, the battery exhibits large areal capacity of 3.03 mAhcm−2 at 3 mAcm−2 and superior high-rate capability of 210.4 mAhg−1 at 30 Ag−1 as well as long-term durability with capacity retention of 92.5% after 2500 cycles. Even at a high mass loading of 12 mgcm−2, the battery can still deliver large capacity of 330.5 mAhg−1 at 2 Ag−1. Our results disclose the NVO-based free-standing composite with high areal capacity, excellent rate and cyclic performances, highlighting its great potential application in high-performance aqueous ZIBs.

Interface coupling in FeOOH/MXene heterojunction for highly reversible lithium-ion storage

Recently, MXene coupling with active nanomaterials show considerable potential for energy storage applications. However, the complicated fabrication of MXene-based composites and their low Li+ storage reversibility impede the further application for lithium-ion batteries. Herein, as a proof of concept, a novel architecture of β-FeOOH quantum dots grafted on Ti3C2 flakes has been realized via a one-step facile immersion method. The crumple Ti3C2 MXene in the synthetic hybrids functions as a favorable matrix to load FeOOH dots due to its open framework, superior electrical conductivity, and low energy barrier of Li+ diffusion. In virtue of the strong interfacial interactions of the formed heterojunctions between alkali-Ti3C2 matrix and FeOOH, the hybrid enables the enhanced kinetics of charge transfer and stable interfacial structure. Consequently, the FeOOH@3D-MX electrode exhibits superior high-rate capability (286.1 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and particularly durable lithium-ion storage with no capacity decay over 500 cycles (572.3 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 500 mA g−1). The enhanced Li+ storage mechanism of FeOOH/MXene heterostructures is also evidenced by density functional theory calculations and kinetics analyses. This work exploits a facile strategy to build high-performance anode composite and paves the way to exploring their energy storage mechanisms.

Facile fabrication and improved supercapacitive performance of exfoliated graphene with hierarchical porous structure

As a promising electrochemical storage material, graphene has drawn tremendous attention due to its fascinating features, such as excellent mechanical flexibility, high specific surface area and superior conductivity. Nevertheless, the severe restacking of graphene sheets decreases the active surface area and decelerates the ion transport kinetics, hindering the practical application. Literatures reveals that constructing an exfoliated holey sheet structure helps solve this problem. In this work, the novel porous reduced graphene oxide with exfoliated sheets is fabricated via a hydrothermal assembly-calcination method by using Ni(NO3)2•6H2O as the activator. The dosage of Ni(NO3)2•6H2O is optimized according to the electrochemical properties of the corresponding electrode materials for the three-electrode supercapacitors. The results show that the optimal p-RGO-5 displays a high specific capacitance of 253.8 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1. Moreover, the p-RGO-5-based symmetric supercapacitor delivers a specific energy of 24.67 W h kg−1 at the specific power of 400.00 W kg−1, in addition to superior cycling stability and high rate capability. Our work offers an effective approach for fabricating porous graphene, which is promising in the fields of energy conversion and storage devices.

Engineering the defects of Co3O4-x bubbles in lotus root-like multichannel nanofibers to realize superior performance and high durability for fiber-shaped hybrid Zn battery

Herein, a lotus root-like nanofibers composed of Co3O4-x bubbles (MCB) with engineered defects is introduced as a novel cathode for hybrid Zn battery (HZB). The nanoscale Co3O4-x bubbles with tailored defects are encapsulated by porous carbon matrix and construct the lotus root-like multichannel structure. The porous and conductive carbon based substrate enables the fast electron/ion transport and facilitates highly reversible redox reaction. In addition, the engineered defects of Co3O4-x bubbles and the multichannels inside the nanofiber provide abundant active sites and ensure the high bifunctional activities towards oxygen evolution/reduction (OER/ORR) reactions. Meanwhile, the good mechanical characteristics and unique structure enable it a good flexible electrode with high areal mass loading and superior electrochemical properties. Accordingly, the MCB nanofiber is a highly efficient platform to synergistically achieve fast kinetics, high energy/power density and excellent durability. For the first time, the formation mechanism of the MCB nanofiber is probed. The relationship between the oxygen vacancies regulated by Kirkendall effect and the electrochemical performance of the electrode is clarified. Moreover, the fabricated fiber-shaped HZB achieves high energy density, superior high-rate capability and long-term cycling stability. Even after high-rate and long-term cycling, it still retains the characteristic two-set charge/discharge profiles and high energy efficiency. More impressively, it exhibits high durability in different outside deformation, working environments or even during working condition transitions.

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of mixed-phase αx/β1-x-LiVOPO4/C composites

Mixed-phase αx/β1-x-LiVOPO4/C (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) composites were synthesized by the solid-phase sintering method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that a series of composites were comprised of pure triclinic α-LiVOPO4 and orthorhombic β-LiVOPO4 components. The mixed-phase materials exhibit better rate performance than whether pure triclinic α-LiVOPO4/C or orthorhombic β-LiVOPO4/C. The α0.5/β0.5-LiVOPO4/C (α:β = 1:1) composite exhibit superior high-rate capability. When cycled at 2C and 5C, the initial discharge capacities of the α0.5/β0.5-LiVOPO4/C composite are 81.1 mAh g−1 and 69.8 mAh g−1 respectively, which are significantly higher than those of the pure α-LiVOPO4/C (30.6 mAh g−1 and 18.6 mAh g−1, respectively) and β-LiVOPO4/C (56.8 mAh g−1 and 36.9 mAh g−1, respectively). The improved electrochemical performance could be attributed to the mixed phase possess an open framework and stable structure.

Phase Engineering of Iron-Cobalt Sulfides for Zn-Air and Na-Ion Batteries.

Rechargeable batteries are promising platforms for sustainable development of energy conversion and storage technologies. Highly efficient multifunctional electrodes based on bimetallic sulfides for rechargeable batteries are extremely desirable but still challenging to tailor with controllable phase and structure. Here, we report a colloidal strategy to fabricate FeCo-based bimetallic sulfides on reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which are expected to display highly efficient oxygen electrocatalysis and sodium storage performances. Specifically, as-screened FeCo8S8 nanosheets (NSs) on rGO originating from suitable tailoring of the Co9S8 matrix with Fe at the atomic level exhibited a very low potential difference (0.77 V) at 10 mA cm-2 and negligible voltage loss after 200 cycles as an air electrode for Zn-air batteries. For Na-ion batteries, FeCo8S8 NS/rGO demonstrated a superior high-rate capability (188 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1) with long-term cycling stability. The bifunctional electrocatalytic property and sodium storage performance are attributed to not only the synergistic effect of Fe/Co but also the optimized catalytic activity and ion transport ability by the in situ rGO hybrid. This work demonstrates the potential applications of FeCo-based bimetallic sulfides as efficient electrode materials for both rechargeable Zn-air and Na-ion batteries.

Free-standing 3D network-like cathode based on biomass-derived N-doped carbon/graphene/g-C3N4 hybrid ultrathin sheets as sulfur host for high-rate Li-S battery

Abstract Derived from low-cost biomass chitin with hierarchical N-involving molecular structures, a novel renewable N-doping carbonaceous host material (denoted as C-NC) for S cathode in Li-S batteries with 3D network-like structures was fabricated via a facile dissolution and carbonization approach. When incorporated with a small amount of graphene (GN) and g-C3N4, the final products of C-NC/GN/g-C3N4 hybrids maintain the 3D interconnected network-like morphology assembled by 2D ultrathin graphene-like sheets. Meanwhile, the hybrids synergize the advantages of the graphene with high conductivity to facilitate fast electron transfer, the g-C3N4 with efficient chemical absorptivity for intermediate polysulfides to inhibit the unfavorable dissolution, as well as the 3D network frameworks of C-NC with high surface area and macro/mesoporous features to offer rapid ion diffusion channels and adequate electrolyte infiltration and mitigate the structural changes of S cathode during cycling. When loading with elemental S, the fabricated S@C-NC/GN/g-C3N4 cathode shows superior high-rate capability and remarkable cycling performance, which maintains a high reversible capacity of ∼1130 mA h g−1 after 500 consecutive electrochemical cycles. This renewable biomass-based cathode construction strategy offers a low-cost promising approach to design high-rate and ultralong-lifespan Li-S batteries.

Towards excellent electrical conductivity and high-rate capability: A degenerate superlattice Ni3(S)1.1(S2)0.9 micropyramids electrode

Degenerate semiconductor is very highly desired in energy conversion and storage technologies due to its metal-like conduction behaviors. This is the first time the doping S2 in Ni3S2 lattice into chemically homogeneous Ni3(S)1.1(S2)0.9 superlattice structure is proposed to induce a degenerate characteristic towards excellent electrical conductivity and high-rate capability. In this study, a series of the chemically homogeneous S2-doped Ni3(S)1.8(S2)0.2, Ni3(S)1.6(S2)0.4, Ni3(S)1.3(S2)0.7, and Ni3(S)1.1(S2)0.9 micropyramid arrays on Ni foam were synthesized by reacting the Ni foam and alkaline sulfur aqueous solution in different S22- concentrations. The perfect Ni3(S)1.1(S2)0.9 superlattice structure corresponds to the periodic S–Ni–S2 atom arrangements in whole crystal lattice, which endows a degenerate characteristic of metal-like electrical conductivity to significantly improve the electrochemical performance. The bulk series resistance (Rs) value is only 0.62 Ω, while the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) is nearly 0 Ω in the superlattice Ni3(S)1.1(S2)0.9 electrode. As a cathode material for application in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), a very high specific capacity of 874 mAh g−1 is achieved at current density of 200 mA g−1. Remarkably, it still holds a high capacity of 565 mAh g−1 at current density of 500 mA g−1, indicating its superior high-rate capability. This study reveals that the periodic S–Ni–S2 atom arrangements in crystal lattice is a key factor in determining the superlattice structure, high specific capacity, and the dynamic behaviors of electron/ion transport.

ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles imbedding in carbon prepared from leaching liquor of jarosite residue as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

ZnFe2O4 has attracted much attention as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high theoretical capacity. However, the fast capacity fading and poor rate performance severely hamper its practical application. To overcome these problems, herein, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles uniformly embedded in carbon matrix (ZnFe2O4/C composite) were fabricated by a facile chemical co-precipitation method and subsequent calcination process with leaching liquor of jarosite residue, NaCO3, and ammonium citrate as raw materials. The prepared ZnFe2O4/C composite shows superior high-rate capability (with 731 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 321 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (with reversible capacity of 644 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 2 A g−1). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis reveals significant pseudocapacitive contributions during the discharge/charge processes of ZnFe2O4/C composite. This work provides a facile, efficient, and eco-friendly strategy for the preparation of high-performance transition metal oxides electrode materials for LIBs.

Boosting fast lithium ion storage of Li4Ti5O12 by synergistic effect of vertical graphene and nitrogen doping

The advancement of power-type lithium ion batteries (LIBs) mainly depends on the construction of electrodes with superior electronic & ionic conductivity. In this work, a synergistic combination of nitrogen doped Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (N-LTO) nanoparticles and highly conductive vertical graphene (VG) skeleton is proposed to obtain ultrafast Li ion storage performance via a facile hydrothermal-nitridation method. The as-synthesized composite nanosheets are composed of interconnected N-LTO shell and VG core to form the final N-LTO/VG core-shell arrays, which are systematically studied as the anodes of LIBs. In virtue of the positive synergistic effect of high conductive VG backbone and nitrogen doping, overwhelming advantages including high specific surface area, superb structural stability and enhanced conductivity are achieved in the well-designed N-LTO/VG electrodes. Accordingly, the as-synthesized N-LTO/VG electrode shows outstanding high rate capacity (142.5 mAh g −1 at 20 C) and superior long-term cycling stability (capacity retention of 98.9% after 10000 cycles at 5 C), better than LTO/VG electrode without N doping. Our research provides a new strategy for the synthesis of high-performance hybrid electrodes for application in power-type LIBs. N-doped Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (N-LTO) are rationally anchored on highly conductive vertical graphene (VG) skeleton forming N-LTO/VG core-shell arrays and demonstrated with noticeable lithium ion storage performance with superior high-rate capability and good cycling stability.

Effects of silver nanoparticle on electrochemical performances of poly(o-phenylenediamine)/Ag hybrid composite as anode of lithium-ion batteries

In the present work, the poly(o-phenylenediamine)/Ag (PoPD/Ag) hybrid composite with the microrod morphology was prepared by in situ chemical oxidation method, and then composite electrodes of PoPD/Ag (PVDF) and PoPD/Ag (sodium alginate) were prepared by using PVDF and sodium alginate as electrode binders, respectively. As explored as the anode of lithium ion batteries, the redox-active PoPD in the hybrid composite, compared to the pure PoPD, demonstrated the remarkably improved electrochemical performances with superior high capacity and good rate capability and cycling stability, due to the improved intrinsic electrical conductivity of PoPD via the introduced Ag nanoparticles in the polymer. As the sodium alginate was chosen as the functional electrode binder, PoPD/Ag (sodium alginate) exhibited the initial charge/discharge-specific capacity of 1452.9/2317.7 mAh g−1, and after the 100th cycles, the developed discharge capacity for PoPD/Ag (sodium alginate) reached to 1389.9 mAh g−1, which was evidently higher than that of PoPD. Its stable and representative discharge-specific capacities were 1291, 1044.9, 856.7, 762.5 mAh g−1 at the current rate of 50, 100, 200, and 500 mAh g−1, respectively, which were obviously superior to that of PoPD and PoPD/Ag (PVDF), indicating that sodium alginate as binder has the special effects on the electrochemical characteristics of PoPD, which benefited to the capacity release step by step during the charge/discharge process. The works would provide significant exploration for the preparation of high-performance poly (aromatic amine) polymer as the electrode materials.