We report a low-cost, high theoretical specific capacity
π-conjugated
organic compound (PTCDA) with CO active centers as the cathode
material in aluminum organic batteries. In addition, in order to improve
the electron transport rate of PTCDA, a new method is proposed in
this paper, which uses physical vapor deposition (PVD) method to make
PTCDA recrystallize and grow on stainless steel and quartz glass substrates
to improve its crystallinity. The increase of crystallinity expands
the PTCDA π–π-conjugated system, making electrons
more delocalized, which is beneficial to the transmission rate of
electrons and ions, thereby enhancing the conductivity of the material.
The experimental results show that compared with pristine PTCDA, PTCDA(Ss)
and PTCDA(G) with higher crystallinity have better cycling stability
and rate capability. The DFT (density functional theory) results indicated
that the electron-deficient carbonyl group in the PTCDA molecule could
reversibly coordinate/dissociate with the positively charged Al complex
ions (AlCl2
+). This research work provides insights
into the rational design of low-dimensional, high-crystallinity, high-performance
cathode materials for green aluminum organic batteries.