Anti-aggregation triggering molecular transformation and boosting stable sodium storage
Chenyang Zhang, Zengyu Li, Linnan Guan, Manli Fu, Kun Fan, Yuan Chen, Guoqun Zhang, Jincheng Zou, Chengliang Wang
Abstract
Aggregation and anti-aggregation are ubiquitous phenomena in nature, which can significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of the materials. However, the stability of materials in aggregates or anti-aggregates is often overlooked. Herein, a small molecule, 2,3,5,6-tetraamino-1,4-benzoquinone (TABQ) is reported as an electrode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Furthermore, we find the TABQ aggregates are air stable; however, they have poor cycle stability in SIBs. On the other hand, the anti-aggregation of TABQ triggers molecular transformation in air, whereas it boosts cycle stability and rate capability. The molecular transformation mechanism is well tracked by high-resolution mass spectroscopy. Anti-aggregation at the molecular level is vital for organic synthesis and such results are promising for deep understanding of aggregation and anti-aggregation toward efficient organic synthesis and high-performance applications.