Unveiling Organic Electrode Materials in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries:From Structural Design to Electrochemical Performance

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)are one of the most compelling alternatives of lithium-ion batteries due to their inherent safety and economics viability.In response to the growing demand for green and sustainable energy storage solutions,organic electrodes with the scalability from inexpensive starting materials and potential for biodegradation after use have become a prominent choice for AZIBs.Despite gratifying progresses of organic molecules with electrochemical performance in AZIBs,the research is still in infancy and hampered by certain issues due to the underlying complex electrochemistry.Strategies for designing organic electrode materials for AZIBs with high specific capacity and long cycling life are discussed in detail in this review.Specifically,we put emphasis on the unique electrochemistry of different redox-active structures to provide in-depth understanding of their working mechanisms.In addition,we highlight the importance of molecular size/dimension regarding their profound impact on electrochemical performances.Finally,challenges and perspectives are discussed from the developing point of view for future AZIBs.We hope to provide a valuable evaluation on organic electrode materials for AZIBs in our context and give inspiration for the rational design of high-performance AZIBs.

A Solvent-Free Covalent Organic Framework Single-Ion Conductor Based on Ion-Dipole Interaction for All-Solid-State Lithium Organic Batteries

Single-ion conductors based on covalent organic frameworks(COFs)have garnered attention as a potential alternative to currently prevalent inorganic ion conductors owing to their structural uniqueness and chemical versatility.However,the sluggish Li+conduction has hindered their practical applications.Here,we present a class of solvent-free COF single-ion conductors(Li-COF@P)based on weak ion-dipole interaction as opposed to traditional strong ion-ion interaction.The ion(Li+from the COF)-dipole(oxygen from poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate embedded in the COF pores)interaction in the Li-COF@P promotes ion dissociation and Li+migration via directional ionic channels.Driven by this single-ion transport behavior,the Li-COF@P enables reversible Li plating/stripping on Li-metal electrodes and stable cycling performance(88.3%after 2000 cycles)in organic batteries(Li metal anode||5,5’-dimethyl-2,2’-bis-p-benzoquinone(Me2BBQ)cathode)under ambient operating conditions,highlighting the electrochemical viability of the Li-COF@P for all-solid-state organic batteries.

Progress and prospects of pH-neutral aqueous organic redox flow batteries:Electrolytes and membranes

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries(AORFBs),which exploit the reversible electrochemical reactions of water-soluble organic electrolytes to store electricity,have emerged as an efficient electrochemical energy storage technology for the grid-scale integration of renewable electricity.pH-neutral AORFBs that feature high safety,low corrosivity,and environmental benignity are particularly promising,and their battery performance is significantly impacted by redox-active molecules and ion-exchange membranes(IEMs).Here,representative anolytes and catholytes engineered for use in pH-neutral AORFBs are outlined and summarized,as well as their side reactions that cause irreversible battery capacity fading.In addition,the recent achievements of IEMs for pH-neutral AORFBs are discussed,with a focus on the construction and tuning of ion transport channels.Finally,the critical challenges and potential research opportunities for developing practically relevant pH-neutral AORFBs are presented.

Metal-Organic Framework Enabling Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Dendrite-Free and Long-Lifespan Sodium Metal Batteries

Sodium dentrite formed by uneven plating/stripping can reduce the utilization of active sodium with poor cyclic stability and,more importantly,cause internal short circuit and lead to thermal runaway and fire.Therefore,sodium dendrites and their related problems seriously hinder the practical application of sodium metal batteries(SMBs).Herein,a design concept for the incorporation of metal-organic framework(MOF)in polymer matrix(polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)is practiced to prepare a novel gel polymer electrolyte(PH@MOF polymer-based electrolyte[GPE])and thus to achieve high-performance SMBs.The addition of the MOF particles can not only reduce the movement hindrance of polymer chains to promote the transfer of Na^(+)but also anchor anions by virtue of their negative charge to reduce polarization during electrochemical reaction.A stable cycling performance with tiny overpotential for over 800 h at a current density of 5 mA cm^(-2)with areal capacity of 5 mA h cm^(-2)is achieved by symmetric cells based on the resulted GPE while the Na_(3)V_(2)O_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)F@rGO(NVOPF)|PH@MOF|Nacell also displays impressive specific cycling capacity(113.3 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C)and rate capability with considerable capacity retention.

Cation-Anion Redox Active Organic Complex for High Performance Aqueous Zinc Ion Battery

Organic redox compounds are attractive cathode materials in aqueous zinc-ion batteries owing to their low cost,environmental friendliness,multiple-electron-transfer reactions,and resource sustainability.However,the realized energy density is constrained by the limited capacity and low voltage.Herein,copper-tetracyanoquinodimethane(CuTCNQ),an organic charge-transfer complex is evaluated as a zinc-ion battery cathode owing to the good electron acceptation ability in the cyano groups that improves the voltage output.Through electrochemical activation,electrolyte optimization,and adoption of graphene-based separator,CuTCNQ-based aqueous zinc-ion batteries deliver much improved rate performance and cycling stability with anti-self-discharge properties.The structural evolution of CuTCNQ during discharge/charge are investigated by ex situ Fourier transform infra-red(FT-IR)spectra,ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and in situ ultraviolet visible spectroscopy(UV-vis),revealing reversible redox reactions in both cuprous cations(Cu^(+))and organic anions(TCNQ^(x-1)),thus delivering a high voltage output of 1.0 V and excellent discharge capacity of 158 mAh g^(-1).The remarkable electrochemical performance in Zn//CuTCNQ is ascribed to the strong inductive effect of cyano groups in CuTCNQ that elevated the voltage output and the graphene-modified separator that inhibited CuTCNQ dissolution and shuttle effect in aqueous electrolytes.

Porous Organic Cage‑Based Quasi‑Solid‑State Electrolyte with Cavity‑Induced Anion‑Trapping Effect for Long‑Life Lithium Metal Batteries

Porous organic cages(POCs)with permanent porosity and excellent host–guest property hold great potentials in regulating ion transport behavior,yet their feasibility as solid-state electrolytes has never been testified in a practical battery.Herein,we design and fabricate a quasi-solid-state electrolyte(QSSE)based on a POC to enable the stable operation of Li-metal batteries(LMBs).Benefiting from the ordered channels and cavity-induced anion-trapping effect of POC,the resulting POC-based QSSE exhibits a high Li+transference number of 0.67 and a high ionic conductivity of 1.25×10^(−4) S cm^(−1) with a low activation energy of 0.17 eV.These allow for homogeneous Li deposition and highly reversible Li plating/stripping for over 2000 h.As a proof of concept,the LMB assembled with POC-based QSSE demonstrates extremely stable cycling performance with 85%capacity retention after 1000 cycles.Therefore,our work demonstrates the practical applicability of POC as SSEs for LMBs and could be extended to other energy-storage systems,such as Na and K batteries.

Implications of electrode modifications in aqueous organic redox flow batteries

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries(RFBs)exhibit favorable characteristics,such as tunability,multielectron transfer capability,and stability of the redox active molecules utilized as anolytes and catholytes,making them very viable contenders for large-scale grid storage applications.Considerable attention has been paid on the development of efficient redox-active molecules and their performance optimization through chemical substitutions at various places on the backbone as part of the pursuit for high-performance RFBs.Despite the fact that electrodes are vital to optimal performance,they have not garnered significant attention.Limited research has been conducted on the effects of electrode modifications to improve the performance of RFBs.The primary emphasis has been given on the impact of electrode engineering to augment the efficiency of aqueous organic RFBs.An overview of electron transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface is provided.The implications of electrode modification on the performance of redox flow batteries,with a particular focus on the anodic and cathodic half-cells separately,are then discussed.In each section,significant discrepancies surrounding the effects of electrode engineering are thoroughly examined and discussed.Finally,we have presented a comprehensive assessment along with our perspectives on the future trajectory.

Covalent Organic Framework with 3D Ordered Channel and Multi-Functional Groups Endows Zn Anode with Superior Stability

Achieving a highly robust zinc(Zn)metal anode is extremely important for improving the performance of aqueous Zn-ion batteries(AZIBs)for advancing“carbon neutrality”society,which is hampered by the uncontrollable growth of Zn dendrite and severe side reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction,corrosion,and passivation,etc.Herein,an interlayer containing fluorinated zincophilic covalent organic framework with sulfonic acid groups(COF-S-F)is developed on Zn metal(Zn@COF-S-F)as the artificial solid electrolyte interface(SEI).Sulfonic acid group(-SO_(3)H)in COF-S-F can effectively ameliorate the desolvation process of hydrated Zn ions,and the three-dimensional channel with fluoride group(-F)can provide interconnected channels for the favorable transport of Zn ions with ion-confinement effects,endowing Zn@COF-S-F with dendrite-free morphology and suppressed side reactions.Consequently,Zn@COF-S-F symmetric cell can stably cycle for 1,000 h with low average hysteresis voltage(50.5 m V)at the current density of 1.5 m A cm^(-2).Zn@COF-S-F|Mn O_(2)cell delivers the discharge specific capacity of 206.8 m Ah g^(-1)at the current density of 1.2 A g^(-1)after 800 cycles with high-capacity retention(87.9%).Enlightening,building artificial SEI on metallic Zn surface with targeted design has been proved as the effective strategy to foster the practical application of high-performance AZIBs.

COF-based single Li^(+)solid electrolyte accelerates the ion diffusionandrestrains dendritegrowthin quasi-solid-state organic batteries

A solid-state electrolyte(SSE),which is a solid ionic conductor and electroninsulating material,is known to play a crucial role in adapting a lithium metal anode to a high-capacity cathode in a solid-state battery.Among the various SSEs,the single Li-ion conductor has advantages in terms of enhancing the ion conductivity,eliminating interfacial side reactions,and broadening the electrochemical window.Covalent organic frameworks(COFs)are optimal platforms for achieving single Li-ion conduction behavior because of wellordered one-dimensional channels and precise chemical modification features.Herein,we study in depth three types of Li-carboxylate COFs(denoted LiOOC-COFn,n=1,2,and 3)as single Li-ion conducting SSEs.Benefiting from well-ordered directional ion channels,the single Li-ion conductor LiOOC-COF3 shows an exceptional ion conductivity of 1.36×10^(-5) S cm^(-1) at room temperature and a high transference number of 0.91.Moreover,it shows excellent electrochemical performance with long-term cycling,high-capacity output,and no dendrites in the quasi-solid-state organic battery,with the organic small molecule cyclohexanehexone(C_(6)O_(6))as the cathode and the Li metal as the anode,and enables effectively avoiding dissolution of the organic electrode by the liquid electrolyte.

Imide-pillared covalent organic framework protective films as stable zinc ion-conducting interphases for dendrite-free Zn metal anodes

The notorious growth of zinc dendrite and the water-induced corrosion of zinc metal anodes(ZMAs)restrict the practical development of aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs).In this work,a zinc metallized,imide-pillared covalent organic framework(ZPC)protective film has been engineered as a stable Zn^(2+)ion-conducting interphase to modulate interfacial kinetics and suppress side reactions for ZMAs.Compared to bare Zn,ZPC@Zn exhibits a higher Zn^(2+)ionic conductivity,a larger Zn^(2+)transference number,a lower electronic conductivity,a smaller desolvation activation energy and correspondingly a significant suppression of corrosion,hydrogen evolution and Zn dendrites.Impressively,the ZPC@Zn||ZPC@Zn symmetric cell obtains a cycling lifespan over 3000 h under 5 mA cm^(-2)for 1 mA h cm^(-2).The ZPC@Zn||NH_(4)V_(4)O_(10)coin-type full battery delivers a specific capacity of 195.8 mA h g^(-1)with a retention rate of78.5%at 2 A g^(-1)after 1100 cycles,and the ZPC@Zn||NH_(4)V_(4)O_(10) pouch full cell shows a retention of70.1%in reversible capacity at 3 A g^(-1)after 1100 cycles.The present incorporation of imide-linked covalent organic frameworks in the surface modification of ZMAs will offer fresh perspectives in the search for ideal protective films for the practicality of AZIBs.

Carbon nanotube-hyperbranched polymer core-shell nanowires with highly accessible redox-active sites for fast-charge organic lithium batteries

Organic electrode materials are promising for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) because of their environmental friendliness and structural diversity.However,they always suffer from limited capacity,poor cycling stability,and rate performance.Herein,hexaazatrinaphthalene-based azo-linked hyperbranched polymer(HAHP) is designed and synthesized as a cathode for LIBs.However,the densely stacked morphology lowers the chance of the active sites participating in the redox reaction.To address this issue,the singlewalled carbon nanotube(SWCNT) template is used to induce the growth of nanosized HAHP on the surface of SWCNTs.The HAHP@SWCNT nanocomposites have porous structures and highly accessible active sites.Moreover,the strong π-π interaction between HAHP and highly conductive SWCNTs effectively endows the HAHP@SWCNT nanocomposites with improved cycling stability and fast charge-discharge rates.As a result,the HAHP@SWCNT nanocomposite cathode shows a high specific capacity(320.4 mA h g^(-1)at 100 mA g^(-1)),excellent cycling stability(800 cycles;290 mA h g^(-1)at 100 mA g^(-1),capacity retained 91%) and outstanding rate performance(235 mA h g^(-1)at 2000 mA g^(-1),76% capacity retention versus 50 mA g^(-1)).This work provides a strategy to combine the macromolecular structural design and micromorphology control of electrode materials for obtaining organic polymer cathodes for high-performance LIBs.

An Environment-Friendly High-Performance Aqueous Mg-Na Hybrid-Ion Battery Using an Organic Polymer Anode

Aqueous Mg ion batteries(AMIBs)show great potential in energy storage for their advantages of high capacity,abundant resource,and environmental friendliness.However,the development of AMIBs is limited due to the scarcity of suitable anode materials.In this study,a new polymer anode material(PNTAQ)with flower-like nanosheet structure is synthesized for aqueous Mg-Na hybrid-ion battery(AMNHIB).PNTAQ possess carbonyl functional groups which can be oxidized and reduced reversibly in aqueous solution containing alkaline metal ions.PNTAQ displays a discharge specific capacity of 245 mAh g^(−1)at 50 mA g^(−1)in 1 M MgCl_(2)+0.5 M NaCl electrolyte,which is much higher than that in single 1 M MgCl_(2)or 0.5 M NaCl electrolyte.Even cycling at 1000 mA g^(−1)for 1000 times,the capacity retention can still maintain at 87.2%.A full Mg-Na hybrid-ion cell is assembled by employingβ-MnO_(2)as cathode and PNTAQ as anode material,it exhibits a specific capacity of 91.6 mAh g^(−1)at 100 mA g^(−1).The polymer electrode material well maintains its framework structure during the discharge/charge cycling process of the hybrid-ion battery.

Sodium-Coordinated Polymeric Phthalocyanines as Stable High-Capacity Organic Anodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)have attracted considerable interest as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries owing to their similar electrochemical performance and superior long-term cycle stability.Organic materials are regarded as promising anode materials for constructing SIBs with high capacity and good retention.However,utilization of organic materials is rather limited by their low energy density and poor stability at high current densities.To overcome these limitations,we utilized a novel polymeric disodium phthalocyanines(pNaPc)as SIB anodes to provide stable coordination sites for Na ions as well as to enhance the stability at high current density.By varying the linker type during a one-pot cyclization and polymerization process,two pNaPc anodes with O-(O-pNaPc)and S-linkers(S-pNaPc)were prepared,and their structural and electrochemical properties were investigated.The O-pNaPc binds Na ions with a lower binding energy compared with S-pNaPc,which leads to more facile Na-ion coordination/dissociation when engaged as SIB anode.The use of O-pNaPc significantly improves the redox kinetics and cycle stability and allows the fabrication of a full cell against Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)F_(3)/C cathode,which demonstrates its practical application with high energy density(288 Wh kg^(-1))and high power density(149 W kg^(-1)).

Organic cathode materials for rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries:Fundamentals, recent advances, and approaches to optimization

Rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries(MIBs) are favorable substitutes for conventional lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) because of abundant magnesium reserves, a high theoretical energy density, and great inherent safety. Organic electrode materials with excellent structural tunability,unique coordination reaction mechanisms, and environmental friendliness offer great potential to promote the electrochemical performance of MIBs. However, research on organic magnesium battery cathode materials is still preliminary with many significant challenges to be resolved including low electrical conductivity and unwanted but severe dissolution in useful electrolytes. Herein, we provide a detailed overview of reported organic cathode materials for MIBs. We begin with basic properties such as charge storage mechanisms(e.g., n-, p-, and bipolartype), moving to recent advances in various types of organic cathodes including carbonyl-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-based materials. To shed light on the diverse strategies targeting high-performance Mg-organic batteries, elaborate summaries of various approaches are presented.Generally, these strategies include molecular design, polymerization, mixing with carbon, nanosizing and electrolyte/separator optimization.This review provides insights on exploring high-performance organic cathodes in rechargeable MIBs.

Kinetic and thermodynamic synergy of organic small molecular additives enables constructed stable zinc anode

An organic small molecule additive zinc formate is introduced to construct stable Zn metal interphase by electrochemical kinetic control and thermodynamic adjustment.It partially forms a water-formate concomitant dipole layer at the internal Helmholtz electrical double layers(HEDLs) under the preferential adsorption function of formate on Zn surface,reducing the occurrence of side reactions at phase interface.Meanwhile,free formate in HEDLs regulates the Zn^(2+) solvation sheath structure to accelerate the desolvation,transference,and deposition kinetics of Zn^(2+).Besides,the hydrolysis reaction of zinc formate increases the hydrogen evolution overpotential,inhibiting the thermodynamic tendency of hydrogen evolution.Consequently,it presents stable cycle for more than 2400 h at 5 mA cm^(-2),as well as an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.8% at 1 A g^(-1) after 800 cycles in the Zn‖VO_(2) full cell.The interphase engineering strategy zinc anode by organic small molecular brings new possibility towards high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

An imine-linked covalent organic framework as the host material for sulfur loading in lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S) batteries have high theoretical specific capacity, providing new opportunities for the next generation of secondary battery. Covalent organic framework(COF) as a new porous crystalline material has been used as the host material in Li–S battery to improve the cell's cycling stability. In this paper, an imine-linked TAPB-PDA-COF was applied as the host material for sulfur loading(60%) in Li–S battery. The TAPB-PDA-COF has a beehive-like morphology with high thermal stability(up to 500 ℃).In the electrochemical experiment, the performance of the composite cathode with acetylene black(AB) and super-P(S-P) as the conductive additives was studied individually. The initial discharge capacity under 0.2 A/g current density was 991 mAh/g and 1357 mAh/g for TAPB-PDA-COF/S@A-B and TAPB-PDACOF/S@S-P, respectively. The better result of S-P based cathode than A-B could be due to the better conductivity of the S-P, as proved by the EIS results. When further increased the current density to 2 A/g,the S-P based composite cathode can still deliver a comparable initial discharge capacity of 630 and 274 mAh/g capacity remained after 940 cycles. This results will inspire researchers develop more suitable conductive additives together with the host materials for high performance Li–S battery.

Recent progress in organic redox flow batteries:Active materials,electrolytes and membranes

Redox flow batteries （RFBs） have great potentials in the future applications of both large scale energy storage and powering the electrical vehicle. Critical challenges including low volumetric energy density. high cost and maintenance greatly impede the wide application of conventional RFBs based on inorganic materials. Redox-active organic molecules have shown promising prospect in the application of RFBs, benefited from their low cost, vast abundance, and high tunability of both potential and solubility. In this review, we discuss the advantages of redo~ active organic materials over their inorganic compart and the recent progress of organic based aqueous and non-aqueous RFBs. Design considerations in active materi- als, choice of electrolytes and membrane selection in both aqueous and non-aqueous RFBs are discussed. Finally. we discuss remaining critical challenges and suggest future directions for improving organic based RFBs.

Nanostructured strategies towards boosting organic lithium-ion batteries

Pursuing material development for next-generation batteries,organic electrode materials have shown great potential for lithium-ion batteries.However,their widespread adopting is plagued by intrinsic problems such as poor electronic conductivity,high dissolution inside electrolytes and unstable chemical peculiarity.Recently,nanostructured-strategies promoted organic electrodes with exotic properties for enhancing electron and ion transport together with the stability during electrochemical process,have received increasing attention and have been extensive applied in boosting the organic lithium-ion based energy storage.In this review,we summarize the applications of nanostructures to improve the performance of both organic anodes and cathodes,including(i)nanoscale design of zero-dimensional organic electrode materials,(ii)strategies of one-dimensional nanostructured organic electrode materials,(iii)construction of two-dimensional nanosized organic composite electrodes,and(iv)three-dimensional exploration of nanosized organic electrodes.We hope to stimulate high-quality applied research on understanding and handling the relationship between the nanostructure and performance of organic lithium-ion batteries that might speed up the commercialization of organic lithium ion batteries.

Nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon derived from metal–organic aerogel for high performance lithium–sulfur batteries

Nitrogen-doped three-dimensional(3 D) porous carbon materials have numerous applications due to their highly porous structures, abundant structural nitrogen heteroatom decoration and low densities. Herein,nitrogen doped hierarchical 3 D porous carbons(NHPC) were prepared via a novel metal–organic aerogel(MOA), using hexamethylenetetramine(HMT), 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and copper(II) as starting materials. The morphology, porous structure of the building blocks in the NHPC can be tuned readily using different amount of HMT, which makes elongation of the pristine octahedron of HKUST-1 to give rise to different aspect ratio rod-like structures. The as-prepared NHPC with rod-like carbons exhibit high performance in lithium sulfur battery due to the rational ion transfer pathways, high N-doped doping and hierarchical porous structures. As a result, the initial specific capacity of 1341 m A h/g at rate of 0.5 C(1 C = 1675 m A h/g) and high-rate capability of 354 m A h/g at 5 C was achieved. The decay over 500 cycles is 0.08% per cycle at 1 C, highlighting the long-cycle Li–S batteries.

Recent progress and strategies toward high performance zinc-organic batteries

Energy sustainable development has stimulated the pursuit of an eco-friendly energy storage system.Carbon peak and neutrality targets oriented energy storage development will guide the way of further studies on batteries system.However,conventional batteries system(lead-acid batteries,lithium-ion batteries)based on ungreen transition metal oxide,flammable electrolytes or hazardous metals cannot keep pace with the development of society sooner or later.Thus,vast explorations on the advanced rechargeable battery systems were conducted.Compared with other battery systems,zinc ion battery systems with inherent safety,low cost were widely investigated.Especially,the zinc organic batteries based on the eco-efficiency organic cathodes were promising alternative advanced batteries for future energy storage systems.Therefore,various organics and different electrochemistry mechanisms were explored in the zinc batteries system.Herein,a timely review on elaborate analysis about functional groups,fundamentals,progress accompanied by the discussion on the four core issues:voltage,capacity,rate performance,cycle life was presented.Specifically,aiming at these issues,three levels of solution strategies:materials design concepts,morphology structure optimization and electrolyte environment were summarized and proposed for the development and innovation of zinc organic batteries.