Bioderived Molecular Electrodes for Next‐Generation Energy‐Storage Materials

• Published in: ChemSusChem 2020-05, Vol.13 (9), p.2186-2204
• Main Authors: Miroshnikov, Mikhail, Mahankali, Kiran, Thangavel, Naresh Kumar, Satapathy, Sitakanta, Arava, Leela Mohana Reddy, Ajayan, Pulickel M., John, George
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Aluminum; Aqueous electrolytes; Biomimetic materials; Carbonyl compounds; Carbonyls; electrochemistry; Electrodes; Energy storage; Functional groups; Gravimetry; Hydrogen bonding; Lithium; natural products; Organic chemistry; Organic materials; Rechargeable batteries; sodium; Substrates; Transition metal oxides
• ISSN: 1864-5631; 1864-564X
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201903589

Nature‐derived organic small molecules, as energy‐storage materials, provide low‐cost, recyclable, and non‐toxic alternatives to inorganic and polymer electrodes for lithium‐/sodium‐ion batteries and beyond. Some organic carbonyl compounds have met or exceeded the voltages and gravimetric storage capacities achieved by traditional transition metal oxide‐based compounds due to the metal‐ion coupled redox and facile electron‐transport capability of functional groups. Stability issues that previously limited the capacity of small organic molecules can be remediated with reactions to form insoluble salts, noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonding and π stacking), loading onto substrates, and careful electrolyte selection. The cost‐effectiveness and sustainability of organic materials may further be improved by employing porphyrin‐based electrodes and multivalent‐ion batteries utilizing abundant metals, such as aluminum and zinc. Finally, redox flow batteries take advantage of the solubility of organics for the development of scalable, high power density, and safe energy‐storage devices based on aqueous electrolytes. Herein, the advantages and prospects of small molecule‐based electrodes, with a focus on nature‐derived organic and biomimetic materials, to realize the next‐generation of green battery chemistry are reviewed. Designed by nature: Small organic molecules provide a means to deliver sustainable energy‐storage systems from cost‐efficient and recyclable raw materials. Quinones, flavins, and porphyrins are among natural products that may be effectively utilized for applications in lithium‐/sodium‐ion batteries and beyond. Strategies to counter stability issues without polymerization are discussed to fabricate electrodes with long cycling lifetimes and high storage capacities.