Redox-Active Organic Molecules Supported by Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane

Organic redox molecules have attracted considerable attention because of their abundant availability and excellent design flexibility. For practical applications, these molecules must be anchored onto scaffolds such as polymers to prevent crystallization and elution into the electrolyte. In this study, we explore the use of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) derivatives as scaffolds for anthraquinone (AQ) and hydroquinone. We investigated the cage structure of POSS and the number of redox units incorporated. Notably, a corner-opened POSS (CO-POSS) variant with three AQ units exhibited reversible redox behavior under neutral, acidic, and basic conditions. Furthermore, we examined the air-battery performance of AQ-modified CO-POSS as an anode-active material. Corner-opened cage silsesquioxane with anthraquinone units demonstrated high stability, excellent dispersibility, and reversible redox properties. Its performance as an anode-active material in air batteries was thoroughly evaluated. image