Polymeric Redox‐Active Electrodes for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

• Published in: ChemSusChem 2018-01, Vol.11 (1), p.311-319
• Main Authors: Fernández, Naiara, Sánchez‐Fontecoba, Paula, Castillo‐Martínez, Elizabeth, Carretero‐González, Javier, Rojo, Teófilo, Armand, Michel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesion; Adhesives; Aniline; Anodes; batteries; Binders; Binding; Carbon; Chemical industry; Chemical synthesis; Electric Power Supplies; Electrochemical analysis; electrochemistry; Electrode materials; Electrodes; Ethylene oxide; Fluorination; Lithium-ion batteries; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Oxidation-Reduction; Phenylenediamine; Polymers; Polymers - chemistry; Propylene; Propylene oxide; Rechargeable batteries; redox chemistry; sodium; Sodium - chemistry; Sodium-ion batteries; Terpolymers; Vinylidene
• ISSN: 1864-5631; 1864-564X
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201701471

Polymer binding agents are critical for the good performance of the electrodes of Na‐ and Li‐ion batteries during cycling as they hold the electroactive material together to form a cohesive assembly because of their mechanical and chemical stability as well as adhesion to the current collector. New redox‐active polymer binders that insert Na+ ions and show adhesion properties were synthesized by adding polyether amine blocks (Jeffamine) based on mixed propylene oxide and ethylene oxide blocks to p‐phenylenediamine and terephthalaldehyde units to form electroactive Schiff‐base groups along the macromolecule. The synthetic parameters and the electrochemical properties of these terpolymers as Na‐ion negative electrodes in half cells were studied. Reversible capacities of 300 mAh g−1 (50 wt % conducting carbon) and 200 mAh g−1 (20 wt % conducting carbon) were achieved in powder and Cu‐supported electrodes, respectively, for a polySchiff‐polyether terpolymer synthesized by using a poly(ethylene oxide) block of 600 g mol−1 in place of one third of the aniline units. The new redox‐active polymers were also used as a binding agent of another anode material (hard carbon), which led to an increase of the total capacity of the electrode compared to that prepared with other standard fluorinated polymer binders such as poly(vinylidene) fluoride. Binding agreement: A new redox‐active polymer binder inserts Na+ ions and shows adhesive properties. This new material is synthesized by adding polyether amine groups onto mixed propylene oxide and ethylene oxide blocks to make p‐phenylenediamine and terephthalaldehyde units and form electroactive Schiff‐base groups along the macromolecule.