Organic di-radical rechargeable battery with an ionic liquid-based gel polymer electrolyte

Challenges, opportunities, and roadmap for ionic liquid-based electrolytes in advancing energy storage devices

The ever-increasing demand for safer, portable, and compact energy storage systems has resulted in the emergence of advanced materials for electrodes and electrolytes. In this context, ionic liquids have emerged as a strong candidate for furthering gel-based and solid-state electrolytes to overcome the fundamental trade-off conceptualized in the Ragone plot. In spite of several distinct advantages, ionic liquids are often perceived as ionic conductors, with a nascent understanding of their interactions with the other components of the electrolyte and the resulting dynamics at the electrode/electrolyte electrified interface. This review aims to comprehensively cover such multi-component interactions of ionic liquids within the gel and solid-state electrolytes that enable further performance and safety in both lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Components ranging from polymers, ceramics, and nanofillers that act as matrices to redox additives that enhance the polarization behavior are elaborated in the course of the review. Furthermore, a section focusing on newer characterization methods for probing and understanding such electrified multi-component interfaces is presented. In addition to summarizing the state-of-the-art developments in this domain, this review also presents a roadmap for the future development of materials and methods to deepen the understanding of interfacial processes.

Key Features of TEMPO-Containing Polymers for Energy Storage and Catalytic Systems

The need for environmentally benign portable energy storage drives research on organic batteries and catalytic systems. These systems are a promising replacement for commonly used energy storage devices that rely on limited resources such as lithium and rare earth metals. The redox-active TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl-4-yl) fragment is a popular component of organic systems, as its benefits include remarkable electrochemical performance and decent physical properties. TEMPO is also known to be an efficient catalyst for alcohol oxidation, oxygen reduction, and various complex organic reactions. It can be attached to various aliphatic and conductive polymers to form high-loading catalysis systems. The performance and efficiency of TEMPO-containing materials strongly depend on the molecular structure, and thus rational design of such compounds is vital for successful implementation. We discuss synthetic approaches for producing electroactive polymers based on conductive and non-conductive backbones with organic radical substituents, fundamental aspects of electrochemistry of such materials, and their application in energy storage devices, such as batteries, redox-flow cells, and electrocatalytic systems. We compare the performance of the materials with different architectures, providing an overview of diverse charge interactions for hybrid materials, and presenting promising research opportunities for the future of this area.

Enhanced ionic conductivity in poly(vinylidene fluoride) electrospun separator membranes blended with different ionic liquids for lithium ion batteries

Electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) fiber membranes doped with different ionic liquids (ILs) and sharing the same anion were produced and their potential as separator membranes for battery applications was evaluated. Different types of ILs containing the same anion, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [TFSI]^-, were used with IL concentrations ranging between 0 and 15 wt% The morphology, microstructure, thermal and electrical properties (ionic conductivity and electrochemical window) of the membranes were evaluated. The presence of ILs in the PVDF polymer matrix influences the fiber diameter and the content of the polar β phase within the polymer, as well as the degree of crystallinity. The thermal stability of the membranes decreases with the incorporation of IL. Impedance spectroscopy tests show a maximum ionic conductivity of 2.8 mS.cm^-1 for 15% of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Emim][TFSI]) at room temperature. The electrochemical stability of the samples ranges from 0.0 to 6.0 V. When evaluated as battery separator membranes in C-LiFePO₄ half-cells, a maximum discharge capacity of 119 mAh.g^-1 at C-rate was obtained for the PVDF membrane with 15% [Emim][TFSI], with a coulombic efficiency close to 100%. The results demonstrate that the produced electrospun membranes are suitable for applications as separators for lithium ion batteries (LIBs).

Effect of Carboxylic Acid-Doped Carbon Nanotube Catalyst on the Performance of Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery Using the Modified Alloxazine and Ferrocyanide Redox Couple

Alloxazine and ferrocyanide are suggested as the redox couple for an aqueous organic redox flow battery (AORFB). Alloxazine is further modified by carboxylic acid (COOH) groups (alloxazine-COOH) to increase the aqueous solubility and to pursue a desirable shift in the redox potential. For obtaining a better AORFB performance, the overall redox reactivity of AORFB should be improved by the enhancement of the rate-determining reaction of the redox couple. A carboxylic acid-doped carbon nanotube (CA-CNT) catalyst is considered for increasing the reactivity. The utilization of CA-CNT allows for the induction of a better redox reactivity of alloxazine-COOH because of the role of COOH within alloxazine-COOH as a proton donor, the fortified hydrophilic attribute of alloxazine-COOH, and the increased number of active sites. With the assistance of these attributes, the mass transfer of aqueous alloxazine-COOH molecules can be promoted. However, CA-CNT does not have an effect on the increase of the redox reactivity of ferrocyanide because the redox reaction is not affected by the same influence of protons that the redox reactivity of alloxazine-COOH is affected by. Such a behavior is proven by measuring the electron transfer rate constant and diffusivity. With regard to AORFB full cell testing, when CA-CNT is used as a catalyst for the negative electrode, the performance of the AORFB increases. Specifically, the charge-discharge overpotential and infrared drop potential are improved. As a result, the voltage efficiency affected by the potentials increases to 64%. Furthermore, the discharging capacity reaches 26.7 A h·L^-1, and the state of charge attains 83% even after 30 cycles.