Poly(anthraquinonyl sulfides): High Capacity Redox Polymers for Energy Storage

Redox polymers with high energy storage capacity are searched in order to diminish the weight to the actual batteries. Poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) PAQS is a popular redox polymer which has shown a high performance cathode for lithium, sodium and magnesium batteries. Although PAQS cathodes show high cycling stability it has a relatively low theoretical specific capacity of 225 mAh/g. In this paper we show the synthesis and characterization of new poly(anthraquinonyl sulfides) PAQxS in an attempt to improve the specific capacity of PAQS. Thus, a series of PAQxS polymers with different polysulfide segment lengths (x between 2 and 9 sulfur atoms) have been synthesized in high yields by reacting in situ formed sodium polysulfides with 1,5-dicholoroanthraquinone. The poly(anthraquinonyl sulfides) powders were characterized by ATR-FTIR, solid state C-13 NMR for the organic part and Raman spectroscopy for the chalcogenide part. This characterization confirmed the chemical structure of the PAQxS based on an anthraquinone moiety bind together by polysulfide segments. The electrochemical characterization showed a dual reversible redox mechanism associated with both the anthraquinone and polysulfide electrochemistry. Finally, lithium coin cell battery test of the PAQxS redox polymers as cathodes indicated that the capacity of poly(anthraquinonyl sulfides) showed very high experimental initial capacity values above 600 mAh/g, less capacity loss than sulfur cathodes, and higher steady state capacity than PAQS.