Rational Molecular Design of Redox‐Active Carbonyl‐Bridged Heterotriangulenes for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

Carbonyl aromatic compounds are promising cathode candidates for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) because of their low weight and absence of cobalt and other metals, but they face constraints of limited redox‐potential and low stability compared to traditional inorganic cathode materials. Herein, by means of first‐principles calculations, a significant improvement of the electrochemical performance for carbonyl‐bridged heterotriangulenes (CBHTs) is reported by introducing pyridinic N in their skeletons. Different center atoms (B, N, and P) and different types of functionalization with nitrogen effectively regulate the redox activity, conductivity, and solubility of CBHTs by influencing their electron affinity, energy levels of frontier orbitals and molecular polarity. By incorporating pyridinic N adjacent to the carbonyl groups, the electrochemical performance of N‐functionalized CBHTs is significantly improved. Foremost, the estimated energy density reaches 1524 Wh kg−1 for carbonyl‐bridged tri (3,5‐pyrimidyl) borane, 50% higher than in the inorganic reference material LiCoO2, rendering N‐functionalized CBHTs promising organic cathode materials for LIBs. The investigation reveals the underlying structure‐performance relationship of conjugated carbonyl compounds and sheds new lights for the rational design of redox‐active organic molecules for high‐performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs).

Exploring Organic Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries through Fragment Bonding and Discharge Simulation

“…We note that our strategy is not limited to dimers but can be applied to polymers by incorporating the units in either main chains or side chains. Polymerization of organic cathode materials is known to improve the stability of organic cathode materials by preventing dissolution into electrolytes. , The solubility of organic compounds was also controlled by modifying their polarity. , In addition, polymerization is expected to improve the accessibility of lithium ions to organic compounds by increasing the molecular flexibility and forming porous structures.…”

“…10,20 The solubility of organic compounds was also controlled by modifying their polarity. 41,42 In addition, polymerization is expected to improve the accessibility of lithium ions to organic compounds by increasing the molecular flexibility and forming porous structures.…”

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