Redox-Active Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons as Electrode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

Redox-active organic materials offer high theoretical capacities; however, most organic materials show drastic capacity fading during cycling, mainly caused by the dissolution of the active materials in the electrolytes used in Li-ion batteries. In this work, we introduced graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with grafted electroactive molecules to serve as a current collector, binder, and active material at the same time. GNRs were prepared by unzipping commercially available multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a Na/K alloy, functionalizing them in situ with different protected hydroquinone derivatives, which were later deprotected in the last step. All synthesized materials were electrochemically characterized in Li-ion battery cells. The physical characteristics of the synthesized materials were determined by using evolved-gas analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. These analyses show the successful functionalization of GNRs and improved electrochemical performance compared to non-functionalized GNRs.