Advancing squaric acid amides as new electrode materials for energy storage - From novel small building blocks to organic polymers towards full organic batteries

• Applicants: Dr. Dominic Bresser; Professor Dr. Max Martin Hansmann; Professor Dr. Patrick Théato
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers ; Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 441254245

In continuation of the first funding phase, this project aims at combining synthetic and electrochemical expertise to drive the development of new small redox-active organic molecules based on squaric acid amide derivatives and their incorporation within polymers. Yet, to improve the performance and in particular their energy density, new types of condensed redox-active squaric acid quinoxaline (SQX) molecules will be investigated to extend the class of redox-active polymers suitable as materials for electrochemical energy storage. This will include: (i) introducing more sophisticated 2D or even 3D architectures into the SQX molecules, (ii) gaining deeper insights into the effects of π stacking by designing novel extended aromatic SQX molecules, (iii) investigating the effect of Lewis acid coordination to the carbonyl groups of SQX, (iv) dehydrogenative oxidation of SQX to form squaric acid quinoxaline derived anode materials, (v) expanding the structural motif of squaric acids by one or two (CO) units and investigate the corresponding amides of croconic and rhodizonic acid, (vi) subsequent design of monomers and their polymerization, (vii) synthesis of redox-active molecules suitable for post-polymerization modification, (viii) synthesis of redox-active molecules suitable for cross-linked films, (ix) the careful electrochemical evaluation of the redox-active molecules, (x) optimization of the electrolyte composition for the most promising active materials, (xi) development of advanced electrode architectures, (xii) realization of electrodes with an increased active material mass loading, and (xiii) the assembly of fully organic battery cells.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2248: Polymer-based batteries