Organic Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

TLDR

Organic compounds offer new possibilities for high‑energy, high‑power, cost‑effective, and environmentally friendly rechargeable lithium batteries, yet have been largely overlooked due to the dominance of inorganic intercalation materials; recent progress has revived interest in the field. The paper summarizes thirty years of research on organic compounds for rechargeable lithium batteries. It reviews the working principles, development history, and design strategies of various organic electrode classes, including organosulfur, free‑radical, carbonyl, conducting polymers, non‑conjugated redox polymers, and layered organic compounds. Comparative performance analysis reveals the strengths and weaknesses of each material class, providing a comprehensive overview of the area.

Abstract

Abstract Organic compounds offer new possibilities for high energy/power density, cost‐effective, environmentally friendly, and functional rechargeable lithium batteries. For a long time, they have not constituted an important class of electrode materials, partly because of the large success and rapid development of inorganic intercalation compounds. In recent years, however, exciting progress has been made, bringing organic electrodes to the attention of the energy storage community. Herein thirty years' research efforts in the field of organic compounds for rechargeable lithium batteries are summarized. The working principles, development history, and design strategies of these materials, including organosulfur compounds, organic free radical compounds, organic carbonyl compounds, conducting polymers, non‐conjugated redox polymers, and layered organic compounds are presented. The cell performances of these materials are compared, providing a comprehensive overview of the area, and straightforwardly revealing the advantages/disadvantages of each class of materials.