Symmetrical Design of Biphenazine Derivative Anode for Proton Ion Batteries with High Voltage and Long-Term Cycle Stability

Abstract

Organic anodes have emerged as a promising energy storage medium in proton ion batteries (PrIBs) due to their ability to reversibly accommodate non-metallic proton ions. Nevertheless, the currently available organic electrodes often encounter dissolution issues, leading to a decrease in long-cycle stability. In addition, the inherent potential of the organic anode is generally relatively high, resulting in low cell voltage of assembled PrIBs (<1.0 V). To address these challenges, a novel long-period stable, low redox potential biphenylzine derivative, [2,2′-biphenazine]-7,7′-tetraol (BPZT) is explored, from the perspective of molecular symmetry and solubility, in conjunction with the effect of the molecular frontier orbital energy levels on its redox potential. Specifically, BPZT exhibited a low potential of 0.29 V (vs SHE) and is virtually insoluble in 2 m H2SO4 electrolyte during cycling. When paired with MnO2@GF or PbO2 cathodes, the resulting PrIBs achieve cell voltages of 1.07 V or 1.44 V, respectively, and maintain a high capacity retention of 90% over 20000 cycles. Additionally, these full batteries can operate stably at a high mass loading of 10 mgBPZT cm−2, highlighting their potential toward long-term energy storage applications.