Proton-Reservoir Hydrogel Electrolyte for Long-Term Cycling Zn/PANI Batteries in Wide Temperature Range

Advanced aqueous batteries are promising for next generation flexible devices owing to the high safety, yet still requiring better cycling stability and high capacities in wide temperature range. Herein, a polymeric acid hydrogel electrolyte (PAGE) with 3 M Zn(ClO₄)₂ was fabricated for high performance Zn/polyaniline (PANI) batteries. With PAGE, even at −35 °C the Zn/Zn symmetrical battery can keep stable for more than 1 500 h under 2 mA cm⁻², and the Zn/PANI battery can provide ultra-high stable specific capacity of 79.6 mAh g⁻¹ for more than 70 000 cycles at 15 A g⁻¹. This can be mainly ascribed to the −SO₃⁻H⁺ function group in PAGE. It can generate constant protons and guide the (002) plane formation to accelerate the PANI redox reaction kinetics, increase the specific capacity, and suppress the side reaction and dendrites. This proton-supplying strategy by polymeric acid hydrogel may further propel the development of high performance aqueous batteries.     

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) separators with dual-asymmetric structure for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Dual-asymmetric poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) separators have been fabricated by thermally induced phase separation with dimethyl sulfone(DMSO2) and glycerol as mixed diluents. The separators have a porous bulk with large interconnected pores(~1.0 μm) and two surfaces with small pores(~30 nm). This dual-asymmetric porous structure endows the separators with higher electrolyte uptake amount and rapider uptake rate, as well as better electrolyte retention ability than the commercialized Celgard 2400. The separators even maintain their dimensional stability up to 160 °C, at which temperature the surface pores close up, leading to a dramatic decrease of air permeability. The electrolyte filled separators also show high ion conductivity(1.72 m S?cm―1) at room temperature. Lithium iron phosphate(Li Fe PO4)/lithium(Li) cells using these separators display superior discharge capacity and better rate performance as compared with those from the commercialized ones. The results provide new insight into the design and development of separators for high-performance lithium ion batteries with enhanced safety.     

Amorphous iron phosphate/carbonized polyaniline nanorods composite as cathode material in sodium-ion batteries

As-prepared polyaniline (PANI) nanorods have been used to synthesize an iron phosphate/polyaniline (FePO₄/PANI) composition through the microemulsion technique. After sintering at 460 °C under a nitrogen protective atmosphere, the PANI carbonized, yielding the amorphous iron phosphate/carbonized polyaniline nanorods (FePO₄/CPNRs) composite, which acts as the cathode material in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The electrochemical performance of FePO₄/CPNRs composite shows an initial discharge specific capacity of 140.2 mAh g^?1, with the discharge specific capacity being maintained at 134.4 mAh g^?1 after the 120th cycle, up to 87.9 % of the theoretical capacity (154.1 mAh g^?1 for NaFePO₄), as well as an excellent rate capability in sodium-ion batteries. Compared with pure FePO₄, the electrochemical performance has been greatly improved. On the one hand, using the CPNRs as conductive medium significantly improves electronic transport. On the other hand, the FePO₄ sphere of nanoscale particles, which has a large specific surface area, can promote an active material/electrolyte interface reaction and improve the speed of sodiation and desodiation during the charge and discharge process. The amorphous FePO₄/CPNRs composite shows outstanding electrochemical performance as competitive cathode material in SIBs.     

聚1,5-二氨基蒽醌二次锂电池正极材料研究

采用化学氧化方法合成了聚1,5-二氨基蒽醌(PDAAQ)并用于二次锂电池.借助红外光谱确定其分子结构,实验测得材料的平均粒径为7.9μm,比表面积为8.9 m2.g-1,具有0.8 S.cm-1的电导率,符合作为电极材料使用的基本要求;电化学测试表明,作为二次锂电池正极材料使用时,聚合物重复单元中除了醌基团与Li+所发生的电化学氧化还原反应外,聚苯胺导电骨架也对PDAAQ的能量密度和循环性产生贡献.充放电曲线则进一步确定了聚苯胺骨架与醌基团协同作用的存在,实验表明,在Li(CF3SO2)2N/PC+DGDM电解液中,基于活性材料PDAAQ的首次放电容量达到221 mAh.g-1,经过40次充放电循环,容量保持率为80%,因此聚1,5-二氨基蒽醌具有较大应用潜力.     

Novel conducting polymer poly[bis(phenylamino)disulfide]: Synthesis,characterization, and properties

A bis(phenylamino)disulfide was prepared through the reaction of S₂Cl₂ with aniline, and its configuration was confirmed with elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Fourier transform Raman (FT‐Raman), and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. A novel conducting polymer, poly[bis(phenylamino)disulfide] (PPAD), was synthesized from bis(phenylamino)disulfide by both chemical and electrochemical polymerization. The structure of this polymer, in which the side‐chain disulfide bonds were linked to the nitrogen atoms of the main‐chain polyaniline, was characterized with FTIR, FT‐Raman, gel permeation chromatography, electron spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A four‐probe measurement revealed that the electrical conductivity of PPAD was 1.8 × 10^?2 to 2.1 × 10^?3 S cm^?1, depending on the doping agents and the pH of the medium for either chemical synthesis or electrochemical synthesis. The conductivity, molecular weight, and spectroscopic properties of the polymer, in comparison with those of polyaniline, showed decreases in the polaron delocalization, structural order, and doping level of the main chain because of the steric hindrance of side‐chain S? S bonds. The cyclic voltammograms of the polymer and the monomer showed that the redox reactions (doping/undoping processes) of the main chain (π‐conjugated system) occurred in almost the same potential range of ?0.3 to 0.3 V versus an Ag/AgCl (saturated KCl) electrode as that of thiol (thiolate anion)/disulfide of the side chain in PPAD; the bond cleavage (reduction) and formation (oxidation) reactions of the disulfide bond in the polymer became easier and more reversible than those of the monomer. These results suggested that this conducting organodisulfide polymer might be a candidate material for energy‐storage devices such as lithium secondary batteries, proton‐exchange batteries, and electrochemical capacitors. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2329–2339, 2004     

Moisture Battery Formed by Direct Contact of Magnesium with Foamed Polyaniline

The present communication reports a concept battery made by direct contact of magnesium foil with ultralight polyaniline (PANI) foam in the absence of additional electrolyte. Electrical current is allowed to be steadily released from the junction with a specific energy of 646 mWh g^?1 and specific capacity of 1247 mAh g^?1. Additionally, the battery offers an environmentally friendly route of hydrogen production along with discharging. Mechanistic studies indicated that the ubiquitous galvanic corrosion combined with decomposition of adsorbed trace water in the semi‐conducting polymer foam enabled the generation of electricity, which overturns the traditional view. The higher moisture level is conducive to the discharge. This work is believed to open up new possibilities for the design of electrochemical batteries.     

Stability of polyaniline in air and acidic water

Polyaniline is a member of the class of electrically conducting polymers, having possible commercial applications such as coatings. Aqueous‐based polyaniline coatings are preferred over organic solvent or concentrated strong acid based coatings because water is not a pollutant. The overall goal of this study was to further the development of water‐based polyaniline coatings by an examination of the effect of acidic water (pH 1.18) and air on polyaniline. Knowledge of the effect of water on the structure, molecular weight, electrical conductivity, and diffusion of the dopant assisted in ascertaining whether polyaniline degraded with water exposure. Knowledge of how Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra would be affected by dry air was important for determining if polyaniline was chemically stable with time. The results showed that the molecular weight, ultraviolet–visible and FTIR spectra, and carbon‐to‐nitrogen molar ratio in the polymer backbone all remained unchanged during acidic water immersion. The constant nature of these physical parameters showed a high degree of water stability. A chloride ion diffusion coefficient of 2.8 to 85 × 10^?9 cm²/h, the chloride concentration, and the electrical conductivity were also measured with the water immersion time. Aging polyaniline powders in a desiccator for 5 years showed no effect on the molecular structure, as indicated by the FTIR spectrum. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 807–822, 2003     

导电含硫材料/聚苯胺复合物作为镁二次电池的正极材料

使用通过简单加热聚丙烯腈(PAN)和硫单质而得到的导电含硫材料(conductive sulfur-containing material, CSM)及其与聚苯胺(PAn)的复合物作为镁二次电池的正极材料. X射线衍射(XRD)和傅立叶红外光谱(FT-IR)测试表明, 导电含硫材料的结构由类似石墨的微晶相及无定形相所组成, 材料骨架为含有S—S键的脱水嘧啶型基质. 该导电含硫材料与聚苯胺复合并掺杂Cu(II)后, 其放电比容量和电化学可逆性大大提高, 放电比容量可达117.3 mAh·g-1, 22次循环后容量保持大约78％(相对于第二次放电容量). 聚苯胺不仅起到电化学催化剂的作用, 同时也是电极活性物质, 并且在分子水平上改善了活性材料的导电性能. 该复合物研究结果为镁二次电池正极材料结构设计的开发提供了新的思路.     

Polyaniline encapsulated silicon nanocomposite as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Polyaniline encapsulated silicon (Si/PANI) nanocomposite as anode materials for high-capacity lithium ion batteries has been prepared by an in situ chemical polymerization of aniline monomer in the suspension of Si nanoparticles. The obtained Si/PANI nanocomposite demonstrates a reversible specific capacity of 840 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles at a rate of 100 mA g^?1 and excellent cycling stability. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be due to that the polyaniline (PANI) matrix offers a continuous electrically conductive network as well as enhances the compatibility of electrode materials and electrolyte as a result of suppressing volume stress of Si during cycles and preventing the agglomeration of Si nanoparticles.     

Kinetics Study on Oxidation of β‐Isophorone Using Molecular Oxygen

The oxidation kinetics of β‐isophorone (β‐IP) using molecular oxygen catalyzed by iron(III) acetylacetonate was investigated in a lab‐scale agitator bubbling reactor. β‐IP was found to give keto‐isophorone (KIP) and 4‐hydroxy‐3,5,5‐trimethyl‐2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one (HIP) along with little isomerization product α‐isophorone (α‐IP). The results show that the oxidation reaction took place in the pseudo–first‐order fast reaction regime. The experiment was conducted under the mass transfer reaction regime as the mass transfer resistances could not be easily eliminated. The intrinsic kinetics was obtained through apparent kinetics. The activation energy of oxidation of β‐IP to KIP is 70.5 ± 4.1 kJ mol^–1, and the value of ln A_KIP is 33.53 ± 1.22. Meanwhile, the activation energy of oxidation of β‐IP to HIP is 86.4 ± 5.4 kJ mol^–1 and the value of ln A_HIP is 36.23 ± 1.52, which could provide theoretical basis for industrial design, amplification of reactor, and the optimization of reaction.     

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Coating Disproportionated SiO Materials as Long Cycling Stable Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries

Silicon monoxide (SiO) is a kind of promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries because of its smaller volume change during the charge and discharge process than pure silicon and its higher theoretical capacity than commercialized graphite. However, its fast-fading capacity still restricts the development of practical application of SiO. A simple and cheap strategy to dope nitrogen and coat carbon on the surface of disproportionated SiO is proposed to improve the cycling stability significantly even at a high specific current. The capacity retention is nearly 85% after 250 cycles and more than 69% after 500 cycles at a specific current of 1000 mA g⁻¹. Even at a specific current of 2000 mA g⁻¹, its cycling performance behaves similarly to that of 1000 mA g⁻¹. Nitrogen doping in materials could improve the conductivity of materials because pyridinic nitrogen and pyrrolic nitrogen could improve the electron conductivity and provide defects to contribute to the diffusion of lithium ions. The use of pitch and melamine, which are easily available industrial raw materials, makes it possible to contribute to the practical application.     

Polyaniline nanofibers by surfactant‐assisted dilute polymerization for supercapacitor applications

Polyaniline nanofibers doped with citric acid was prepared by a novel surfactant‐assisted dilute polymerization technique. It was possible to synthesize polyaniline nanofibers without using any organic solvent by easier pathway. Polyaniline salt was characterized by conductivity, FTIR, and X‐ray diffraction studies. The specific capacitance behavior of the polyaniline nanofibers was characterized using cyclic voltammetry which exhibits highest specific capacitance of 298 F g^?1. The morphology of the obtained nanofibers was characterized by SEM studies. So, these kinds of specific properties of polyaniline nanofibers could be beneficial to the development of energy storage devices. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self-discharge behavior of LaNi5-based hydrogen storage electrodes in different electrolytes

Nickel–metal hydride (Ni–MH) batteries using hydrogen storage alloys as negative electrode materials have been developed and commercialized because of their high energy density, high rate capability and long cycle life, without causing environmental pollution (Song et al. J Alloys Comp 298:254, 2000; Jang et al. J Alloys Comp 268:290, 1998). However, the self-discharge rate is relatively higher than that of the Ni–Cd batteries, which would certainly be disadvantageous in practical applications. The capacity loss of a battery during storage is often related to self-discharge in the cells. Self-discharge takes place from a highly charged state of a cell to a lower state of charge (SOC) and is typically caused by the highly oxidizing or reducing characteristic of one or both of the electrodes in the cell. This self-discharge behavior may be affected by various factors such as gases, impurities, temperature, type of alloy electrode, electrolytes, or charge/discharge methods. The loss of capacity can be permanent or recoverable, depending on the nature of the mechanism (chemical or electrochemical) and aging condition. In this paper, the effects of electrolyte composition and temperature on self-discharge behavior of LaNi₅-based hydrogen storage alloy electrodes for Ni–MH batteries have been investigated. It was found that both reversible and irreversible capacity loss of MH electrode tested at 333 K were higher than that at 298 K. When tested at 298 K and 333 K, reversible capacity loss was mainly affected by the electrolyte, while the irreversible capacity loss was not affected. The dissolution of Al from the electrode can be reduced more effectively in an electrolyte with Al addition, compared with that in normal electrolyte. This resulted in a lower reversible capacity loss for the electrode exposed in the Al³⁺-rich electrolyte. SEM analysis has shown that some needle shape and hexagonal corrosion products were formed on the surface of the alloy electrodes, especially after storage at high temperature.     

Polyaniline/Pure Carbon Assemblies as Efficient Self‐standing Metal‐free Oxygen Electrodes in Alkaline Media for Zn‐Air Batteries

A facile design and fabrication of self‐standing metal‐free polyaniline (PANI)@carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite membrane was initially proposed by straightforward noncovalent wrapping the polymer around pure CNTs. Without introduction of extra heteroatoms into CNTs, the optimized PANI@CNTs composite exhibits a much better electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) than pure CNTs via favorable interfacial modification with PANI to largely expose the active sites of on the surface of pure CNTs. Besides, it displays good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance. When directly utilized as bifunctional air electrode without extra additive agents, the composite membrane‐enabled rechargeable Zn‐air batteries not only deliver a high peak power density (201.9 W g^?1) and a large energy density (850.3 Wh kg_Zn^?1), but also present robust cycling performance for 216 cycles with a high energy efficiency of 57.8%.     

硅纳米粒子聚苯胺包覆改性及其嵌/脱锂电化学性能

利用直流电弧等离子体蒸发法合成硅纳米粒子（Si NPs）,粒径为20~30 nm。采用对氨基苯甲酸（ABA）处理Si NPs,并在ABA-Si NPs表面进行苯胺（ANi）原位化学氧化聚合,形成核/壳型聚苯胺包覆硅纳米复合粒子（PANi-Si NPs）。FTIR、DSC、XRD、TEM等分析结果表明,ABA与Si NPs之间形成了化学键,粒子表面引入了ANi基团,复合粒子中PANi质量含量约为62%。电化学性能测试表明,PANi包覆层的存在大幅度提高了Si NPs的循环稳定性能,在100 mA·g^-1的电流密度下循环100次后,电池容量保持率为92.5%,远高于未改性的Si NPs的性能。聚苯胺包覆改性Si NPs,改善其导电性能的同时,可以极大地缓冲充/放电过程中的体积变化,提高电极的循环稳定性能。     

Nanofibers composite vanadium oxide/polyaniline: synthesis and characterization of an electroactive anisotropic structure

This contribution describes the synthesis of a hybrid nanocomposite constituted by vanadium oxide/polyaniline (PAni) with an interesting fibrilar morphology. Nanofibers can be obtained as main reaction products of nanocomposite V₂O₅/PAni and hexadecylamine after hydrothermal treatment. In general, nanocomposite nanofibers present a typical length varying from 1 to 10 μm and a width varying from 15 to 400 nm. Electrochemical experiments have shown a specific capacity of about 150 A h kg⁻¹ during the 10 initials cycles, revealing a promissory material for utilization as cathode for ion-Li batteries.     

Flexible polyaniline

Flexible polyaniline having excellent mechanical properties (e.g., elongation at break = 41% and tensile strength = 1.8 kg cm^?2) was prepared by electrochemical reduction of ordinary polyaniline in organic solvents. The flexibility is directly related with the polymer morphology which was definitely affected by the nature of electrolyte anion. Perchlorate or tetrafluoroborate anion were found suitable to obtain flexible polyaniline. At the same time, it is essential that the polymer so prepared should be reduced (undoped) in some suitable organic solvents before making a flexible free standing film.     

硅纳米粒子聚苯胺包覆改性及其嵌/脱锂电化学性能

利用直流电弧等离子体蒸发法合成硅纳米粒子(SiNPs),粒径为20~30 nm。采用对氨基苯甲酸(ABA)处理SiNPs,并在ABA-SiNPs表面进行苯胺(ANi)原位化学氧化聚合,形成核/壳型聚苯胺包覆硅纳米复合粒子(PANi-SiNPs)。FTIR、DSC、XRD、TEM等分析结果表明,ABA与SiNPs之间形成了化学键,粒子表面引入了ANi基团,复合粒子中PANi质量含量约为62%。电化学性能测试表明,PANi包覆层的存在大幅度提高了SiNPs的循环稳定性能,在100 mA·g~(-1)的电流密度下循环100次后,电池容量保持率为92.5%,远高于未改性的SiNPs的性能。聚苯胺包覆改性SiNPs,改善其导电性能的同时,可以极大地缓冲充/放电过程中的体积变化,提高电极的循环稳定性能。     

Synthesis and electrorheological properties of polyaniline-Na+-montmorillonite suspensions

We synthesized polyaniline-Na⁺-montmorillonite nanocomposite particles using an emulsion intercalation method and prepared electrorheological (ER) fluids by dispersing the synthesized nanocomposite particles in an electrically insulating silicone oil. The conducting polymer (polyaniline) was inserted into the layers of clay, and this insertion of polyaniline was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. For the first time, ER properties were determined via a rotational rheometer equipped with a high voltage generator.     

Polyaniline doped by a new class of dopants,benzoic acid and substituted benzoic acid: synthesis and characterization

This work reports on a new class of dopants, benzoic acid and substituted benzoic acids such as 2‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 2‐chlorobenzoic acid, 4‐nitrobenzoic acid, 2‐methoxybenzoic acid, 3‐methylbenzoic acid, 4‐methylbenzoic acid, 3‐aminobenzoic acid and 4‐aminobenzoic acid, for polyaniline. Benzoic acids can be used to dope polyaniline by mixing benzoic acid (or a substituted benzoic acid) with polyaniline in the common solvent 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone. Properties of benzoic acid doped polyaniline salts are studied using Fourier transform infra‐red, X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and conductivity measurements. The conductivity of polyaniline‐benzoic acid salt was found to be high (10⁻² S/cm) when compared to polyaniline‐substituted benzoic acid salts (10⁻³–10⁻⁵ S/cm). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.