Pyrolysis of naphthol functionalized polytriarylamine for efficient sodium-ion storage

Abstract

Developing suitable electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is important to improve the electrochemical performance. Herein, we prepare n-type carbonaceous anodes via pyrolysis of naphthol-functionalized polytriarylamine that manifests rapid Na⁺ storage. During pyrolysis, gas evolution from poly(DNap-OH) triggers structural rearrangement to form a disordered microstructure with a high char-yield of 72%. When utilizing PDNOH as anodes in SIBs, PDNOH-800 delivered the specific capacity of 212 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.05 A g⁻¹ and stable cycling behavior with C.E. of 99.7%. The n-type characteristics attributed to N- and O-moieties played a critical role to enhance the electrochemical performance of SIBs via surface-induced Na⁺ storage with fast kinetics.