Organic Semiconductor Cocrystal for Highly Conductive Lithium Host Electrode

Abstract

In this work, a highly conductive organic cocrystal is investigated as an anode material for conducting agent-free lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrodes. A unique morphology of semiconducting fullerene (C 60 ) and contorted hexabenzocoronene (cHBC) is developed as a cocrystal that efficiently enhances the electron transfer during discharge and charge processes due to the formation of a well-defined junction between C 60 and cHBC. In particular, the present study reveals the exact cocrystal phase of orthorhombic Pnnm using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction characterization and computational methods. The detailed cocrystal structure analysis indicates that the columnar structure of C 60 /cHBC cocrystal facilitates the reliable vacant sites for Li + storage, which ultimately enhances the reversible capacity to 330 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 with long cyclability of 600 cycles in the absence of a conducting agent. Furthermore, the rate performance of the C 60 /cHBC cocrystal anode is improved compared to that of the graphite anode, indicating that the cocrystal formation between C 60 and cHBC enhances the charge transport at a high current density. It demonstrates that the approach of this study can be a promising strategy for preparing conducting agent-free organic cocrystal anodes, which also provides a viable design rule for high-performance LIBs electrodes.

Small Size, Big Impact: Recent Progress in Bottom‐Up Synthesized Nanographenes for Optoelectronic and Energy Applications

“…The same group later reported the contorted nanographene: fullerene organic cocrystal as an anode material for conducting agent-free LIBs, with improved specific capacity reaching 330 mAh g −1 (much higher than that of the pristine contorted nanographene, 80 mAh g −1 ). [175] The C-S bonds at the edges of nanocarbon materials are important active sites for energy storage, which have a great impact on the electrical double layer and introduce pseudocapacitance to the materials. Wu et al [176] demonstrated the fabrication of continuous ultrathin sulfur-doped graphene (SG) films, based on bottom-up synthesized peripherical trisulfurannulated hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (SHBC).…”

Manipulating Light‐Induced Dynamic Macro‐Movement and Static Photonic Properties within 1D Isostructural Hydrogen‐Bonded Molecular Cocrystals

“…[34][35][36][37][38][39] Thus,the co-crystals may emerge novel photorelated properties that are different from the sum of individual molecules. [9,[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] Fore xample,M orimoto and Ire have developed aco-crystal of adiarylethene compound with perfluoronaphthalene in a1 :2 ratio.T he resulting co-crystal had areversible photo-induced bending motion owing to the photo-generated ring-close reaction. [52] However,t od ate, controlling the dynamic photo-mechanical behaviors of the same molecule based on its co-crystal formation remains very challenging.T his challenge is particularly difficult for isostructural molecular crystals.…”

Stretching [8]cycloparaphenylene with encapsulated potassium cations: structural and theoretical insights into core perturbation upon four-fold reduction and complexation

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Non-planar PAHs can also serve as multi-electron acceptors and have the capacity to supercharge, [6][7][8][9][10] which has been realized in high-performance batteries and ultracapacitors. [11][12][13][14][15] Recent advances in organic synthesis have provided access to new classes of non-planar PAHs with different carbon framework topologies and very interesting properties. [16][17][18][19][20][21] Among those, cycloparaphenylenes representing the shortest fragments of armchair carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged on the scene as unique non-planar macrocyclic PAHs with radially oriented p orbitals.…”