Rationally Engineered Ultrastable Three-Dimensional (3D) Conjugated Microporous Polymers Containing Triptycene, Tetraphenylethene, and Benzothiadiazole Units as Exceptional High-Performance Organic Electrodes for Supercapacitors
Tzu-Hsin Weng, Mohamed Gamal Mohamed, Santosh U. Sharma, Islam M. A. Mekhemer, Ho‐Hsiu Chou, Shiao‐Wei Kuo
Abstract
Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) have been investigated as promising materials for enhancing energy storage in supercapacitors. Supercapacitors can be categorized into electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) and pseudocapacitors, each differing in how their electrodes interact with ions. In the process of synthesizing CMPs, four specific building blocks, namely, triptycene (Try), pyrene (Py), tetraphenylethene (TPE), and benzo[ c ][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BT), were utilized. To synthesize Try-PyT CMP, Try-PyT-BT CMP, Try-TPET CMP, and Try-TPET-BT CMP, an efficient and environmentally friendly synthesis method was employed. This technique involved a one-pot Sonogashira coupling reaction. The analysis phase encompassed a range of assessments, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), 13 C solid-state NMR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherm measurements, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD). These analyses were performed to evaluate the chemical structures, thermal stability, porosity, morphology, and electrochemical properties of the four CMPs based on Try. The study highlighted the exceptional performance of these Try-based CMPs as electrode materials for supercapacitors. In particular, the Try-TPET-BT CMP demonstrated an impressive capacitance of 157 F g –1 at 0.5 A g –1, coupled with remarkable stability across 2000 cycles. Their substantial surface area and pore volume make them strong contenders for practical applications in real-world devices.