Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
Nitroxide polymer brushes are covalently grafted on substrates via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). As a cathode of organic radical batteries, the nitroxide polymer brushes prevent the nitroxide polymer from dissolving into electrolyte solvents, which improves the cycle-life performance of batteries.
Patterned nitroxide polymer brush thin-film electrodes are fabricated by microcontact printing. The thickness of the polymer brushes is proportional to the polymerization time of SI-ATRP. The energy capacity of the polymer brush electrode for organic radical batteries is determined to be approximately 94.0 mAh g
−1
at a discharge rate of 20 C; its cycle-life performance exhibits 97.3% retention after 100 cycles. The synthesis and electrochemical performance of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) nitroxide polymer brush electrodes for organic radical batteries is also reported. The
3DOM electrodes are synthesized via polystyrene colloidal crystal templating with electropolymerization of polypyrrole (PPy), modification of surface initiator, and
SI-ATRP. The discharge capacity of the 3DOM electrodes is proportional to the thickness of the inverse opal. The discharge capacity of the 3DOM electrode at a discharge rate of 5 C is 40 times higher than that of the planar electrode; its cycle-life performance exhibits 96.1% retention after 250 cycles.
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