Polymers are poised to play a crucial role in energy storage, now and well into the future. Research in my group has focused the use of polymers as redox-active electrodes. While polymer-based electrodes do not have the energy density of their inorganic counterparts, their lightweight nature makes them well suited for emerging high-volume applications in energy storage including wearable devices and electric aviation. I will first discuss our work on polymer-based cathode materials. Some are based on biologically derived redox moieties, making them sustainable materials that can be accessed by a semi-synthetic route to produce organic lithium-ion battery cathodes. Other discussed work in this area will include porous, redox active materials that form robust and highly reversible electrodes. The second part of the talk will focus on anode materials. Here I will disclose several polymers we have synthesized and tested that far exceed the capacity of graphite and store well beyond 1 Li per 6 carbon atoms. The mechanism of this controversial ‘superlithiation’ process will be discussed.

Polymers as active energy storage materials

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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