Crystalline 1D Linear Conjugated Polymers with a Quinoidal Unit As Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Crystalline 1D Linear Conjugated Polymers with a Quinoidal Unit As Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Advanced Energy Materials

10.1002/aenm.202402657

https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202402657

Renzhen Fan, Cheng Wang, Xiaofei Zhang, Xuwen Zhang, Weijia Dong, Yiyang Xu, Chenhui Xu, Chunyan Chi, Jun Zhu, Yunfeng Deng, Yanhou Geng

polymer, oxygen electrocatalysis

12 August 2024

Fan, R., Wang, C., Zhang, X., Zhang, X., Dong, W., Xu, Y., Xu, C., Chi, C., Zhu, J., Deng, Y., & Geng, Y. (2024). Crystalline 1D Linear Conjugated Polymers with a Quinoidal Unit As Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction. Advanced Energy Materials, 14(44). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202402657

Crystalline and soluble 1D linear conjugated polymers (LCPs) have garnered considerable interest as cost‐effective and efficient metal‐free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to their high exposure of catalytic sites and ease of processing. However, difficulties remain in achieving excellent ORR performance for 1D LCPs by conventional molecular design. Herein, it is demonstrated the utilization of quinoidal units as a promising strategy to develop 1D LCPs for ORR. The incorporation of quinoidal unit not only results in polymers with strong inter‐ and intra‐molecular interactions and low‐lying LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) energy levels, but also provides polymers with good crystallinity and commendable charge carrier mobilities. The electronic properties of these polymers are fine‐tuned through the introduction of additional heteroatoms and/or substituents in the monomers and comonomers to understand and optimize their ORR catalytic activity. Evaluation of their catalytic performances reveals a remarkable half‐wave potential and limiting current density of up to 0.74 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrod) and 7.50 mA cm−2, respectively. Notably, these performances are achieved without the addition of carbon nanomaterials as support. This study offers a new insight into the design of highly efficient metal‐free organic electrocatalysts.

Publisher Copyright

This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity Young Individual Research Grant
Grant Reference no. : M23M7c0118

This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Career Development Fund
Grant Reference no. : C233312013

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Fan, R., Wang, C., Zhang, X., Zhang, X., Dong, W., Xu, Y., Xu, C., Chi, C., Zhu, J., Deng, Y., & Geng, Y. (2024). Crystalline 1D Linear Conjugated Polymers with a Quinoidal Unit As Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction. Advanced Energy Materials, 14(44). Portico, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202402657. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/21876

1614-6832
1614-6840

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering