Electrochemical intercalation of selected antioxidant organic molecules into graphite electrodes for construction of eco-friendly smart batteries

This study focuses on the intercalation of antioxidant organic molecules into graphite electrodes for building smart batteries. Antioxidants such as phenol, resorcinol, and ascorbic acid were intercalated into graphite electrodes for environmentally friendly energy storage using phenol–ascorbic acid and resorcinol–ascorbic acid paired half-cells, connected via a salt bridge. Progress was monitored through open-circuit voltage (OCV) measurements. The maximum intercalation occurred at concentrations near 0.4M, a charging voltage of 20 V, and a pH range of 2–3. The intercalated electrodes showed OCV up to 6.9 V in KCl medium and 4.2 V in distilled water. The closed-circuit voltage (CCV) remained slightly lower than the OCV. The intercalated electrodes of ascorbic acid–phenol resulted in LED illumination for 36 min, while ascorbic acid–resorcinol resulted in LED illumination for 27 min under optimized conditions. A reversible redox behavior with distinct oxidation–reduction peaks was observed during cyclic voltammetry analysis. These results demonstrate that organic–graphite intercalation can be used to create lightweight smart batteries with micro- to nanoscale organic layers acting as charge reservoirs.