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A bipolar-redox tetraalkynylporphyrin macrocycle positive electrode with 12-electrons-transfer for high-energy aluminum-organic batteries

Yuxi Guo, Wei Wang, Ke Guo, Xiaodong Chen, Mingyong Wang, Zheng Huang, Yanli Zhu, Wei‐Li Song, Shuqiang Jiao

2025Nature Communications8 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

Organic electrode materials with bipolar-redox activity are a promising candidate for high-energy aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs), but face the capacity ceiling due to limited active sites and low electron transfer number. To universally address this issue, seeking for a kind of multisite bipolar organic material to achieve multielectron transfer is a prerequisite but challenging. Herein, we develop a 12-electron transfer tetraalkynylporphyrin macrocycle positive electrode with two p-type amine (‒NH‒) motifs, two n-type imine (C = N) motifs and four n-type alkynyl (C ≡ C) motifs. The bipolar 18π-electron porphyrin macrocycle can alternately bind and release AlCl4− anions at ‒NH‒ sites and AlCl2+ cations at C = N sites (oxidized from 18π to 16π or reduced from 18π to 20π), achieving four electrons transfer. Furthermore, each terminal C ≡ C site can also coordinate with two AlCl2+ cations, thereby delivering eight electrons. The designed aluminum-organic battery achieves a high capacity of up to 347 mAh g−1 (3-6 times that of conventional graphite positive electrode, 60-120 mAh g−1) and a high specific energy of 312 Wh kg−1 (up to 150% compared to cells with graphite as positive electrode) based on the mass of positive electrode materials. Organic electrode materials are promising candidates for rechargeable Al-ion batteries but face the capacity ceiling due to limited active sites and low electron transfer number. Here, authors develop a tetraalkynylporphyrin cathode with 12-electron transfer to achieve high energy Al-organic batteries.

Topics & Concepts

RedoxElectrodeElectron transferElectronAluminiumMaterials scienceChemistryPhotochemistryInorganic chemistryPhysicsPhysical chemistryComposite materialQuantum mechanicsAdvancements in Battery MaterialsElectrocatalysts for Energy ConversionMesoporous Materials and Catalysis