(644c) Structural and Fast-Charging Organic Battery Cathodes Based on Redox Active Polymers and Carbon Fiber Fabric

Structural energy storage requires optimized batteries with significant energy storage together with excellent mechanical properties. This technology may lead to substantial mass and volume savings in electrified transportation and aerospace applications by storing energy within the object’s structural elements. However, until now, most studies on structural energy storage have focused on conventional, inorganic cathode materials such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), or nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC). These materials are usually cast on malleable metallic current collectors that render the battery to be mechanically weak. Further, they exhibit poor rate capabilities at higher C-rates and low capacity retention during the long-term life of batteries while also being potential environmental hazards. Organic radical polymers are a promising alternative because they possess rapid kinetics, charge transfer ability, and good cycling stability while being environmentally benign. Carbon fiber fabrics possess excellent tensile strength and modulus and are increasingly used in automobiles, aviation, and aerospace objects. In this work, we report PTMA (poly (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidenyloxyl-4-yl methacrylate)) and PNTCDI (1,4,5,8-naphthalenete-tracarboxylicdianhydride derived polyimide) redox-active polymer-based structural battery electrodes containing a carbon fiber (CF) fabric current collector platform. PTMA or PNTCDI, super P carbon, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) binder were cast on carbon fiber plain weave fabric, providing excellent structural support while also being a current collector. A full-cell battery containing the structural organic battery electrodes, as well as graphite-based anode was also prepared. These full cells were investigated for fast charging capability and low temperature (about -50°C) operability tests. This work provides a pathway for utilizing environmentally benign, redox-active polymer-based electrodes in structural and fast-charging organic batteries.