Recyclable Organic Radical Batteries

Organic radical batteries are one of the possible routes for transition to a sustainable future and reducing global carbon footprint. However, focusing on the recyclability of these next-generation energy storage devices is important to achieve a circular economy. This work shows the recycling of poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy-4-yl) (PTMA) and poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy-4-yl acrylamide) (PTAm) based composite electrodes using solvent extraction technique. The electrochemical performance of the original and recycled electrodes was accessed with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD). This work identifies the associated challenges of recycling and possible changes in the recycled electrodes. One challenge is the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI), which is formed due to the decomposition of organic radical polymer and electrolyte, as identified from time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (Tof-SIMS). CEI formation consumes some of the active organic radical polymers which results in a decrease in the discharge capacity of the recycled electrodes. This work explores possible routes to address the issue and improve the overall capacity. This work gives valuable insights into challenges and possible solutions for recycling the next-generation electrochemical energy storage devices.