Hydroquinone-based conjugated Schiff base polymer as anode material for lithium ion batteries

Abstract Redox-active organic compounds have emerged as promising candidates for lithium-ion batteries because of their potentially high specific capacities, cost-effective, safe and environmental-friendly. Herein, a hydroquinone-based conjugated Schiff base polymer (HQ-CSBP) was synthesized by the condensation of 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzenediol dihydrochloride (DABD) and 2,5-dihydroxyl-terephthalaldehyde (DHTA). At a current density of 100 mA g−1, The material provides a remarkable specific capacity of 576 mA h g−1 which corresponds to 96.5% the theoretical value (596 mA h g−1). The capacity retention rate is as high as 94% after 100 charge-discharge cycles. These results demonstrate the great potential of HQ-CSBP as a novel polymer anode material for high-performance lithium ion batteries.