Dialkoxybenzene Polymers for High Voltage Battery Cathodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing organic polymers used in batteries suffer from a drop in capacity over several charge and discharge cycles, and their synthesis is complex, limiting their usability as active electrode materials for achieving high cell voltages and constant storage capacities.
Innovation Solution
Development of polymers comprising specific repeat units with defined chemical structures that allow for higher discharge voltages and capacities, synthesized using simple methods without the need for costly metal catalysts, resulting in high molar mass polymers with a polyethylene glycol-like backbone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If dialkoxybenzene-containing polymers are used as cathode material to achieve higher cell voltages, then voltage increases, but capacity drops after several charge and discharge cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical structure of dialkoxybenzene polymers by changing parameters such as the type of alkoxy groups (methyl, ethyl, propyl), their positions on the benzene ring, and the polymer backbone structure. These parameter changes optimize both the redox potential (for voltage) and the structural stability (for capacity retention), resolving the contradiction between achieving high voltage and maintaining capacity stability over cycles.
2Reliability
If complex synthesis methods are used to produce polymers with desired properties, then polymer performance improves, but synthesis complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synthesis is divided into separate functional segments: first preparing the dialkoxybenzene monomer with desired properties, then polymerizing it through straightforward mechanisms. This segmentation allows optimization of each step independently, achieving high-performance polymers without requiring overly complex overall synthesis procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses readily available dialkoxybenzene compounds as intermediary starting materials that can be easily synthesized or obtained, then converted to the final polymer product through simple polymerization steps. This intermediary approach avoids direct complex polymer synthesis and enables production of high-performance materials through manageable stages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The new polymers maintain high capacity and voltage stability over multiple cycles and can be synthesized efficiently, offering higher energy densities and simpler production processes compared to previous systems.
Implementation Method 1
Organic batteries are electrochemical cells which use an organic charge storage material as active electrode material for storing electrical charge
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to polymers and to the use thereof in the form of active electrode material or in an electrode slurry as electrical charge storage means, the electrical charge storage means especially being secondary batteries. The secondary batteries are especially notable for high cell voltages, a small drop in capacity even on undergoing several charging and discharging cycles, and simple and scalable processing and production methods (for example by means of screen printing).