Cation-Independent Anion Battery Using Organic Cathodes Utilizing a Triphenylamine Moiety for In-Cell Electropolymerization

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant technology for portable electronics and electric vehicles over the past few decades; however, high costs and limited resources have prompted the need for alternative materials. Organic batteries made of abundant and inexpensive materials have the potential to address these challenges. Our previous study focused on tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) bearing triphenylamine (TPA) moieties, TTF-4TPA, wherein TTF exhibits redox activity and TPA shows both polymerization properties and redox activity. Polymerization of active material molecules contributes to long cyclability. TTF-4TPA has been reported to polymerize during the first charge and exhibit high cyclability thereafter. This study investigated the electrochemical properties of a TTF-4TPA-based organic battery. The TTF-4TPA battery was found to exhibit excellent rate performance in a Li-ion system. Moreover, the TTF-4TPA battery was found to be operable even in a Na-ion system.