A Nitro-Rich Small-Molecule-Based Organic Cathode Material for Effective Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

Organic cathode materials have attracted extensive research
interest
for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their diverse
structures and tunable properties. However, the preparation of organic
cathode materials with high capacities, long cycling life, and high
energy densities still remains a big challenge. To address these issues,
we designed and synthesized a novel multinitro-decorated organic small
molecule, N4,N4′′-bis­(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-5′-(4-((2,4-dinitrophenyl)­amino)­phenyl)-[1,1′:3′,1′′-terphenyl]-4,4′′-diamine
(TAPB-6NO2), where the unique electronic character of nitro
group should enable TAPB-6NO2 to be a promising cathode
candidate for LIBs. We found that the introduction of multiple nitro
groups could efficiently reduce the solubility of TAPB-6NO2 in organic electrolytes, resulting in a high specific capacity of
around 180 mAh g–1 and stable cycling with a capacity
retention of 91% after 1100 cycles at 1000 mA g–1. This work suggests that attaching multiple nitro groups on a small
molecule is an effective approach to construct high-performance organic
cathode materials for stable and sustainable rechargeable LIBs.