Use the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Polymer electrode materials (PEMs) have become a hot research topic for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high energy density, tunable structure, and flexibility.
Polymer-based batteries, including metal/polymer electrode combinations, should be distinguished from metal-polymer batteries, such as a lithium polymer battery, which most often involve a polymeric electrolyte, as opposed to polymeric active materials. Organic polymers can be processed at relatively low temperatures, lowering costs.
Polymers for battery electrodes are made with the appropriate monomers and connectivity to meet these design requirements. Several polymers have shown promise as battery electrodes, including polyaniline, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, and poly (p-phenlyene) (Fig. 2).
Recently, conducting polymers have been studied as potential cathodes for batteries. Since polymers are lightweight and flexible, they show promise as batteries for a variety of applications and devices. A charged battery contains cations, typically lithium ions, intercalated into the anode.
Battery electrodes require high conductivity, to allow electrons to charge and discharge easily, and high lithium ion intercalation capacity, to allow for maximum charge storage. Polymers for battery electrodes are made with the appropriate monomers and connectivity to meet these design requirements.
Polymer-based batteries, however, have a more efficient charge/discharge process, resulting in improved theoretical rate performance and increased cyclability. To charge a polymer-based battery, a current is applied to oxidize the positive electrode and reduce the negative electrode.