New Spin on Organic Radical Batteries–An Isoindoline Nitroxide-Based High-Voltage Cathode Material

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 10; no. 9; pp. 7982 - 7988
• Main Authors: Hansen, Kai-Anders, Nerkar, Jawahar, Thomas, Komba, Bottle, Steven E, O’Mullane, Anthony P, Talbot, Peter C, Blinco, James P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 07.03.2018
• Subjects: p-dopable; high-voltage cathode; organic radical battery
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b18252

Organic electrode materials are a highly promising and environmentally benign class of battery materials with radical polymers being at the forefront of this research. Herein, we report the first example of the 1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-2-yloxyl class of nitroxides as an organic electrode material and the synthesis and application of a novel styrenic nitroxide polymer, poly­(5-vinyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-2-yloxyl) (PVTMIO). The polymer was synthesized from the precursor monomer, 2-methoxy-5-vinyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindoline, and subsequent oxidative deprotection yielded the electroactive radical species. Cyclic voltammetry revealed a high oxidation potential of 3.7 V versus Li, placing it among the top of the nitroxide class of electrode materials. The suitability of PVTMIO for utilization in a high-voltage organic radical battery was confirmed with a discharge capacity of 104.7 mAh g–1, high rate performance, and stability under cycling conditions (90% capacity retention after 100 cycles), making it one of the highest reported organic p-dopable cathode materials.