A Recyclable and Scalable High-Capacity Organic Battery

Redox organic electrode materials (OEMs) have attracted extensive attention for batteries due to the possibility to be designed with high performance. However, the practical application of OEMs requires rigor criteria such as low cost, recyclability, scalability and high performance etc. and hence seems still far away. Here, we demonstrate an OEM for high performance aqueous organic batteries. Quantification of the charge storage confirmed the storage of protons with fast reaction kinetics, thereby enabling the high performance at high mass loading. As a result, the laminated pouch cells delivered Ampere-hour-scale capacity with excellent cycling performance. Benefited from the small molecular nature and the stable both charged and discharged states, the electrodes can be recycled at any states of charge with high yields (more than 90 %). This work provides a substantial step in the practical applications of OEMs for the future sustainable batteries.

Automated summary

Redox organic electrode materials (OEMs) have the potential for high performance in batteries but practical application still faces challenges in terms of cost, recyclability, scalability, and performance. This study presents an OEM for high-performance aqueous organic batteries, demonstrating fast proton storage and high mass loading capabilities. The laminated pouch cells showed Ampere-hour-scale capacity and excellent cycling performance. The electrodes, with their small molecular nature and stable charged and discharged states, can be recycled with high yields at any charge state. This work is a significant step towards the practical applications of OEMs for sustainable batteries in the future.