Molecular ion battery: a rechargeable system without using any elemental ions as a charge carrier.

Is it possible to exceed the lithium redox potential in electrochemical systems? It seems impossible to exceed the lithium potential because the redox potential of the elemental lithium is the lowest among all the elements, which contributes to the high voltage characteristics of the widely used lithium ion battery. However, it should be possible when we use a molecule-based ion which is not reduced even at the lithium potential in principle. Here we propose a new model system using a molecular electrolyte salt with polymer-based active materials in order to verify whether a molecular ion species serves as a charge carrier. Although the potential of the negative-electrode is not yet lower than that of lithium at present, this study reveals that a molecular ion can work as a charge carrier in a battery and the system is certainly a molecular ion-based "rocking chair" type battery.