Intensive energy
demand urges state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable
aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are promising candidates with suitable
cathode materials. Owing to high abundance of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen and rich chemistry of organics (structural diversity and flexibility),
small organic molecules are good choices as the electrode materials
for AIB. Herein, a series of small-molecule quinone derivatives (SMQD)
as cathode materials for AIB were investigated. Nonetheless, dissolution
of small organic molecules into liquid electrolytes remains a fundamental
challenge. To nullify the dissolution problem effectively, 1,4-benzoquinone
was integrated with four bulky phthalimide groups to form 2,3,5,6-tetraphthalimido-1,4-benzoquinone
(TPB) as the cathode materials and assembled to be the AI/TPB cell.
As a result, the Al/TPB cell delivered capacity as high as 175 mA
h/g over 250 cycles in the urea electrolyte system. Theoretical studies
have also been carried out to reveal and understand the storage mechanism
of the TPB electrode.
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