Hybrid based on Phenazine Conjugated Microporous Polymer as a High-Performance Organic Electrode in Aqueous Electrolytes

Abstract

Incorporating redox active units in a 3D porous network is an encouraging strategy to enhance electrochemical performance of organic electrode materials. Herein, a new hybrid composed by phenazine-based conjugated microporous polymer (IEP-27-SR, stand for IMDEA Energy Polymer number 27) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and graphene oxide (RGO) is synthesized, fully characterized and tested electrochemically in different aqueous electrolyte conditions, i. e., at various pH values (1–12) and also with different charge carriers (H+ in acidic, and Li+, Na+, K+ in neutral and alkaline electrolytes). Although the IEP-27-SR is found to be very versatile showing very good electrochemistry both in alkaline and acidic solution, it exhibits best specific capacity, redox kinetics and cycle stability in acidic electrolyte. Then encouragingly, when IEP-27-SR is combined with an activated carbon (AC) counter electrode to construct a proof-of-the-concept device, the IEP-27-SR//AC demonstrates high specific capacity (168 mAh g−1 at 2 C), impressive rate performance (96 mAh g−1 at 60 C) and ultra-long cycle stability (76 % capacity retention over 28800 cycles at 10 C; 2690 h) in 1 M H2SO4.