Auxiliary coordination strategy designed poly(chloranil-squaricamide) cathode achieving enhanced specific capacity utilization and Zn2+ insertion/extraction for aqueous zinc ion batteries

• Published in: Journal of electroanalytical chemistry (Lausanne, Switzerland) Vol. 940; p. 117511
• Main Authors: Guo, Chenxiao, Liu, Yang, Wu, Dongmei, Wang, Jingmin, Shen, Xuan, Jia, Chengxiang, Zhang, Jiaxin, Wang, Liqiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Aqueous zinc ion batteries; Auxiliary coordination; Organic cathode material; Poly(chloranil-squaricamide); Specific capacity utilization; Zn2+ insertion/extraction; Aqueous zinc ion batteries; Specific capacity utilization; Organic cathode material; Auxiliary coordination; Poly(chloranil-squaricamide); Zn2+ insertion/extraction
• ISSN: 1572-6657; 1873-2569
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2023.117511

[Display omitted] •Auxiliary coordination strategy is proposed to design PCSA as AZIB cathode.•PCSA cathode achieves maximum 99% specific capacity utilization in AZIB.•PCSA maintains 93% retention after 400 s at 0.02 A g−1, 80% after 1000 s at 0.1 A g−1.•Auxiliary coordination squaraine groups can facilitate Zn2+ insertion/extraction.•This design strategy is promising for organic cathode in multivalent ion battery. High-performance organic cathodes with sustainable advantages are suitable for low-carbon and secure applications in aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIB). Herein, we propose an improved auxiliary coordination facilitating Zn2+ insertion/extraction strategy to design a novel poly(chloranil-squaricamide) (PCSA) as AZIB cathode. The auxiliary coordination squaraine groups with appropriate Zn2+ coordination configuration can facilitate Zn2+ insertion/extraction, so that PCSA presents enhanced stable cycle performance and specific capacity utilization. Particularly, PCSA can perform maximum 98.4% specific capacity utilization and 93% capacity retention after 400 cycles under 0.02 A g−1, even under 0.1 A g−1 the capacity retention can still reach 80% after 1000 cycles. The ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) reveal that quinone units can undertake redox function in PCSA and the auxiliary coordination of the squaraine groups can facilitate Zn2+ insertion/extraction. The ex-situ XRD indicates that slight H+ is involved in the Zn2+ storage process. Such an auxiliary coordination strategy can provide a prospective design method to construct high-performance organic cathode materials for AZIB.