Conjugated Azo Compounds as Active Materials for Rechargeable Sodium-Metal Batteries with High-Rate Performance

Organic electrode materials have gained growing attention in the field of sodium-metal batteries due to their rich reserves, flexibility, and environmental friendliness. However, organic small molecules suffer from poor stability in the electrolyte leading to the decay of battery capacity and reduced cycle life. To address these issues, we report a linear polymer p-PADA with N=N and C=N as active centers. Its highly-conjugated and polymerized structure endows the p-PADA electrode stability, faster reaction kinetics, and exceptional rate performance. When the current density reaches 5 A g(-1), p-PADA still exhibits a specific capacity of 313 mAh g(-1) after 1000 cycles. This work demonstrates that polymerization is an effective method to enhance the electrochemical properties of organic materials.