Heteroaromatic redox polymers for lithium/organic batteries (HALO)

Basic data for this project

Description

The goals of the proposed research are the design and synthesis of heteroaromatic redox polymers as cathode-active materials for lithium/organic batteries and the mechanistic investigations of charge stabilization and storage. Preliminary investigations have shown that such redox polymers have the potential for high cycling stabilities in combination with fast charge/discharge processes (10,000 cycles at 10C) due to charge-stabilizing π-π interactions between the redox-active groups. Research will be carried out as a collaborative project between the groups of B. Esser, Freiburg (synthesis and (electrochemical) characterization of redox polymers, mechanistic studies of π-π interactions) and M. Winter, Münster (implementation of redox polymer-based composite electrodes in lithium/organic battery cells, preparation and development of battery-cell-scale organic electrodes, improvement of electrode design, and mechanistic studies of electrochemical charge/discharge processes). An important part of the project will be the mechanistic investigations of the electrochemical charge/discharge processes in the redox polymer-based electrodes, the results of which will be used to improve the redox polymers through adapted molecular design and synthesis. Lastly, all-organic battery cells will be designed and investigated using redox polymers for the anode and cathode.