Disulfide-Containing Crosslinked Polyaniline Cathode for Rechargeable Battery

Abstract

Polymer electrodes have had several advantages like being environment friendly, mechanically flexible and more inexpensive than lithium metal which is used as lithium metal oxide-based cathode. But polymer electrodes generally have had lower charge/discharge capacity. Sulfur compounds with organothiol (–SH) or disulfide (S–S) group have advantages about high theoretical capacity but they have poor electronic conductivity. Then in this study, focusing on the enhancement of electrical performance of polymer electrode, disulfide bonds are linked to the side chain of polyaniline (PANI) and conjugated crosslinking between polymer chains is formed. As a result, crosslinked poly(9-amino-5,8-dihydro-1H,4H-2,3,6,7-tetrathia-anthracene) (PADTTAA)-co-PANI electrodes with different ratio of ADTTAA were successfully synthesized. Elemental and compositional analysis on the surface of the polymer sample was measured by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). And the electrochemical property of disulfide-containing crosslinked PANI based cathode was investigated by confirming cyclic voltammetry and charge–discharge capacity. As the contents of ADTTAA increased, the charge/discharge capacity increased but the conductivity and cycle life decreased.