Viologen Derivatives Extended with Aromatic Rings Acting as Negative Electrode Materials for Use in Rechargeable Molecular Ion Batteries.

Many types of batteries have been proposed as next-generation energy-storage systems. One candidate is a rocking-chair-type "molecular ion battery" in which a molecular ion, instead of Li+ , works as a charge carrier. Previously, we reported a viologen-type derivative as a negative electrode material that releases and receives PF6- anions during the charge-discharge process; however, its redox potential was not satisfactorily low. Further, the two potential plateaus of this material (difference=0.5 V) should be reduced. In this study, PF6- salts of viologen (bipyridinium) derivatives extended by aromatic rings were synthesized to obtain a negative electrode material with a lower redox potential and small potential change during the charge and discharge processes. Some of the synthesized viologen derivatives were fluorescent even in solid-state electrodes. In the half-cell configuration, the prepared negative electrode materials showed average voltages of approximately 2 V (vs. Li+ /Li), which is lower than that of conventional viologen derivatives.