Modulation of Radical Intermediates in Rechargeable Organic Batteries

Organic materials have been considered as promising electrodes for next-generation rechargeable batteries in view of their sustainability, structural flexibility, and potential recyclability. The radical intermediates generated during the redox process of organic electrodes have profound effect on the reversible capacity, operation voltage, rate performance, and cycling stability. However, the radicals are highly reactive and have very short lifetime during the redox of organic materials. Great efforts have been devoted to capturing and investigating the radical intermediates in organic electrodes. Herein, this review summarizes the importance, history, structures, and working principles of organic radicals in rechargeable batteries. More importantly, challenges and strategies to track and regulate the radicals in organic batteries are highlighted. Finally, further perspectives of organic radicals are proposed for the development of next-generation high-performance rechargeable organic batteries. The recent advances about organic radicals in organic electrode materials are reviewed. This review summarizes the importance, the development history, and the formation mechanism of organic radicals in rechargeable organic batteries. Regulation strategies of organic radicals to improve the electrochemical performance of organic electrodes are highlighted. Challenges and perspectives for organic batteries based on radical chemistry are also discussed.image

Automated summary

Organic materials show promise as electrodes for next-generation rechargeable batteries due to their sustainability, structural flexibility, and potential recyclability. However, the highly reactive and short-lived radicals generated during the redox process of organic electrodes pose challenges. This review summarizes the importance, history, structures, and working principles of organic radicals in rechargeable batteries, highlighting the strategies to track and regulate them. Furthermore, the perspectives for the development of high-performance rechargeable organic batteries based on radical chemistry are discussed.