High-Performance Organic Lithium Batteries with an Ether-Based Electrolyte and 9,10-Anthraquinone (AQ)/CMK-3 Cathode

Organic carbonyl electrode materials of lithium batteries have shown multifunctional molecule design and high capacity, but have the problems of poor cycling and low rate performance due to their high solubility in traditional carbonate-based electrolytes and low conductivity. High-performance organic lithium batteries with modified ether-based electrolyte (2 m LiN(CF₃SO₂)₂ in 1,3-dioxolane/dimethoxyethane solvent with 1% LiNO₃ additive (2m-DD-1%L)) and 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ)/CMK-3 (AQC) nanocomposite cathode are reported here. The electrochemical results manifest that 2m-DD-1%L electrolyte promotes the cycling performance due to the restraint of AQ dissolution in ether-based electrolyte with high Li salt concentration and formation of a protection film on the surface of the anode. Additionally, the AQC nanocomposite improves the rate performance because of the nanoconfinement effect of CMK-3 and the decrease of charge transfer impedance. In 2m-DD-1%L electrolyte, AQC nanocomposite delivers an initial discharge capacity of 205 mA h g^-1 and a capacity of 174 mA h g^-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. Even at a high rate of 2 C, its capacity is 146 mA h g^-1. This strategy is also used for other organic carbonyl compounds with quinone substructures and they maintain high stable capacities. This sheds light on the development of advanced organic lithium batteries with carbonyl electrode materials and ether-based electrolytes.