(644e) Recyclable Organic Radical Batteries

Polymer batteries are one of the possible routes for transition to a sustainable future and reducing global carbon footprint. However, focusing on the recyclability of these next-generation energy storage devices is important to achieve a circular economy. This work shows the direct recycling of poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy-4-yl acrylamide) (PTAm) based composite electrodes using solvent extraction technique. The electrochemical performance of the original and recycled electrodes was accessed with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD). This work identifies the associated challenges of recycling and possible changes in the recycled electrodes. One challenge is the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI), which is formed due to the decomposition of organic radical polymer and electrolyte, as identified from time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). This work also explores the working of an anionic rocking chair battery consisting of PTAm electrodes as both anode and cathode. This work gives demonstrates the recycling of the full polymeric battery and provides insights into the challenges and possible solutions for recycling the next-generation electrochemical energy storage devices.