Citation: Xiaotong Deng, Zetao Wu, Anna Zhou, Shuo-Hang Zheng, Ziheng Cheng, Guangming Li, Yun Zhao, Ronghua Zeng, Nguyen Duc Hoa, Xing-Long Wu. Enhanced electrochemical performance of anthraquinone-based cathode for sodium ion batteries by π-conjugated structure[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(4): 111881. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111881 shu

Enhanced electrochemical performance of anthraquinone-based cathode for sodium ion batteries by π-conjugated structure

Xiaotong Deng ^{a, 1} ,
Zetao Wu ^{a, 1} ,
Anna Zhou ^a ,
Shuo-Hang Zheng ^b ,
Ziheng Cheng ^d ,
Guangming Li ^c ,
Yun Zhao ^e ,
Ronghua Zeng ^{a, *,} ,
Nguyen Duc Hoa ^{f, *,} ,
Xing-Long Wu ^{b, *,}

a.
Guangdong Provincial International Joint Research Center for Energy Storage Materials, National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of MPTES in High Energy and Safety LIBs, School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
b.
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, MOE Key Laboratory for UV Light-Emitting Materials and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
c.
Guangdong Superpack Technology Co., Ltd., Dongguan 523808, China
d.
School of Polymer Science and Engineer, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
e.
Institute of Molecular Science, Sodium-ion Battery Energy Storage Technology Key Laboratory Cultivation Base Jointly Constructed by the Department and City of Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
f.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

zengronghua@m.scnu.edu.cn

ndhoa@itims.edu.vn

xinglong@nenu.edu.cn

Received Date: 25 July 2025
Revised Date: 15 September 2025
Accepted Date: 23 September 2025
Available Online: 24 September 2025

Figures(6)

Quinone-based electrode materials hold significant promise for next-generation sodium-ion batteries due to their structurally tailorable frameworks, high theoretical capacities, and favorable redox potentials. However, dissolution in organic electrolytes and structural instability during cycling critically impair their capacity retention and cycling durability. Herein, we designed and synthesized two novel acylimide materials N,N'-bis(2,6-anthraquinone diamine)-biphenyl diimide (DQ-BDI) and N,N'-bis(anthraquinone-2,6-diamine)-perylenyl diimide (DQ-PDI) with the gradual enhancement of π-conjugation. Electrochemical characterization reveals exceptional performance in DQ-PDI. At the current density of 50 mA/g, the DQ-PDI delivered the first discharge specific capacity of 158 mAh/g, and the capacity retention of 99% after 100 cycles, with the coulombic efficiency of nearly 100%. At a high current density of 500 mA/g, the DQ-PDI displays a high discharge capacity of 152 mAh/g. The reduction peaks of DQ-PDI located at 2.28 V and 1.34 V are the insertion reactions of sodium ion from the carbonyl groups on PTCDA unit and on DAAQ unit at both ends, respectively, and the two oxidation peaks at 2.58 V and 1.53 V corresponds to extraction reactions. Compared with DQ-BDI, DQ-PDI exhibits a larger π-conjugation plane, which significantly enhances the intermolecular π-π interactions. It can well reduce the dissolution of the material in organic electrolyte, resulting in a higher discharge capacity, superior cycling stability and accelerated reaction kinetics. Our π-conjugation extension strategy establishes a new paradigm for designing dissolution-resistant, high-performance organic electrodes.
- Sodium-ion batteries,
- Quinone electrode materials,
- π-Conjugated system,
- Structural stability,
- Sodium storage mechanism
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