Nanoparticle (NP)/polymer nanocomposites received considerable attention because of their important applications including catalysis. Metal and metal oxide NPs may impart catalytic properties to polymer nanocomposites, while polymers with a different structure, functionality, and architecture control the NP formation (size, shape, location, composition, etc.) and in this way, govern catalytic properties of nanocomposites. In this review we will discuss the influence of the polymer nanostructure (thin or grafted layers, polymer ordering, polymer nanopores), architecture (branched vs linear), functional groups (coordinating or ionic), specific properties (reducing, stimuli responsive, conductive), etc. on the formation of metal or metal oxide NPs and the catalytic behavior of the nanocomposites. The development of novel and efficient catalysts is crucial for progress in chemical sciences, and this explains a huge number of publications in this area in recent years. Taking into consideration previous review articles on NP/polymer catalysts, we limited this review to a discussion of a narrow temporal scope (2017-April 2019), while embracing a broad subject scope, i.e., considering any polymers and NPs which form catalytic nanocomposites. This gives us a unique view of the field of catalytic polymer nanocomposites and allows understanding of where the field is going.

Role of Polymer Structures in Catalysis by Transition Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Composites.

Electrodes based on organic matter operating in aqueous electrolytes enable new approaches and technologies for assembling and utilizing batteries that are difficult to achieve with traditional ele ...

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ange.202001191

An aqueous conducting redox polymer based proton battery that can withstand rapid constant‐voltage charging and sub‐zero temperatures

Recent progress in aqueous monovalent-ion batteries with organic materials as promising electrodes

Electrolyte chemistry is critical for any energy-storage device. Low-cost and sustainable rechargeable batteries based on organic redox-active materials are of great interest to tackle resource and performance limitations of current batteries with metal-based active materials. Organic active materials can be used not only as solid electrodes in the classic lithium-ion battery (LIB) setup, but also as redox fluids in redox-flow batteries (RFBs). Accordingly, they have suitability for mobile and stationary applications, respectively. Herein, different types of electrolytes, recent advances for designing better performing electrolytes, and remaining scientific challenges are discussed and summarized. Due to different configurations and requirements between LIBs and RFBs, the similarities and differences for choosing suitable electrolytes are discussed. Both general and specific strategies for promoting the utilization of organic active materials are covered.

/pdf/a-comparative-review-of-electrolytes-for-organic-material-4y746bbod4.pdf

A Comparative Review of Electrolytes for Organic-Material-Based Energy-Storage Devices Employing Solid Electrodes and Redox Fluids

/pdf/organic-cathode-materials-for-lithium-ion-batteries-past-kg0x20far8.pdf

Organic Cathode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries: Past, Present, and Future

Characterization of PEDOT-Quinone conducting redox polymers in water-in-salt electrolytes for safe and high-energy Li-ion batteries

Nonstoichiometric protic ionic liquids (NSPILs) are efficient electrolytes for protic electrochemical devices such as the all-organic proton battery, which has been suggested as a sustainable appro...

Nonstoichiometric triazolium protic ionic liquids for all-organic batteries

Organic materials receive increasing attention as environmentally benign and sustainable electrode-active materials. We present a conducting redox polymer (CRP) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with naphthoquinone pendant group, which is formed from a stable suspension of a trimeric precursor and an oxoammonium cation as oxidant. This suspension allows us to easily coat the polymer onto a current collector, opening up use of roll-to-roll processing or ink-jet printing for electrode preparation. The CRP showed a full capacity of 76 mAh g-1 even at a high C rate of 100 C in acidic aqueous electrolyte. These properties make the CRP a promising candidate as anode-active material; a polymer-air secondary battery was fabricated with the CRP as anode, a conventional Pt/C catalyst as cathode, and sulfuric acid aqueous solution as electrolyte. This battery yielded a discharge voltage of 0.50 V and showed good cycling stability with 97 % capacity retention after 100 cycles and high rate capabilities up to 20 C.

Conducting Redox Polymer as a Robust Organic Electrode-Active Material in Acidic Aqueous Electrolyte towards Polymer–Air Secondary Batteries

Utilizing organic redox-active materials as electrodes is a promising strategy to enable innovative battery designs with low environmental footprint during production, which can be hard to achieve with traditional inorganic materials. Most electrode compositions, organic or inorganic, require binders for adhesion and conducting additives to enable charge transfer through the electrode, in addition to the redox-active material. Depending on the redox-active material, many types and combinations of binders and conducting additives have been considered. We designed a conducting polymer (CP), with a soluble, trimeric unit based on 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (E) and 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene (P) as the repeat unit, acting as a combined binder and conducting additive. While CPs as additives have been explored earlier, in the current work, the use of a trimeric precursor enables solution processing together with the organic redox-active material. To evaluate this concept, the CP was blended with a redox polymer (RP), which contained a naphthoquinone (NQ) redox group at different ratios. The highest capacity for the total weight of the CP/RP electrode was 77 mAh/g at 1 C in the case of 30% EPE and 70% naphthoquinone-substituted poly(allylamine) (PNQ), which is 70% of the theoretical capacity given by the RP in the electrode. We further used this electrode in an aqueous battery, with a MnSO4 cathode. The battery displayed a voltage of 0.95 V, retaining 93% of the initial capacity even after 500 cycles at 1 C. The strategy of using a solution-processable CP precursor opens up for new organic battery designs and facile evaluation of RPs in such.

An Alternative to Carbon Additives: The Fabrication of Conductive Layers Enabled by Soluble Conducting Polymer Precursors – A Case Study for Organic Batteries

Christian Strietzel

Papers

An aqueous conducting redox polymer based proton battery that can withstand rapid constant‐voltage charging and sub‐zero temperatures

Characterization of PEDOT-Quinone conducting redox polymers in water-in-salt electrolytes for safe and high-energy Li-ion batteries

Nonstoichiometric triazolium protic ionic liquids for all-organic batteries

Conducting Redox Polymer as a Robust Organic Electrode-Active Material in Acidic Aqueous Electrolyte towards Polymer–Air Secondary Batteries

An Alternative to Carbon Additives: The Fabrication of Conductive Layers Enabled by Soluble Conducting Polymer Precursors – A Case Study for Organic Batteries