Calix[6]quinone as high-performance cathode for lithium-ion battery

Organic quinone compounds have attracted wide attention due to their high theoretical capacities. Here, a novel cyclic macromolecular calix[6]quinone (C6Q), which possesses 6 p-quinone units and can provide 12 electrochemical active sites, has been applied as a promising cathode material in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The as-fabricated LIBs exhibited an initial specific capacity as high as 423 mA h g⁻¹ (C_theo = 447 mA h g⁻¹) at 0.1 C. After 100 cycles, the capacity of C6Q maintained at 216 mA h g⁻¹, and even after 300 cycles, C6Q still achieved a high specific capacity of 195 mA h g⁻¹ with negligible capacity fading (as compared with the 100^th cycle). Due to the large capacity and wide electrochemical window, C6Q can deliver a specific energy up to 1201 W h kg⁻¹. In addition, the method of immobilizing C6Q with ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) CMK-3 could further enhance the electrochemical performance of C6Q.