Sodium tert-butoxide as stable electrode material in aprotic electrolyte for high cycle stability organic sodium-ion batteries

Organic electrode material can be obtained from biomass through green process, so it is a sustainable green electrode material. However, the capacity attenuation problem of organic electrode seriously affects its application in the field of batteries. Desodiation state and sodiation state are the two corresponding states of electrode materials in redox reaction. The reason for this problem is that the reported desodiation state or sodiation state of organic electrode active unit cannot exist stably in aprotic electrolyte. Here, we report a new organic active unit sodium tert-butoxide (STB), which can exist stably in aprotic electrolyte to obtain high cycle stability. As the electrode of rechargeable batteries, the STB exhibits a capacity of 206 mAhg−1 at 35 mAg−1, 2.4 V. The battery runs more than 5000 cycles at 210 mAg−1, 135 mAhg−1, no capacity attenuation. The other two battery samples run more than 6500 cycles and 10000 cycles at 600 mAg−1, with the capacity retention 99% and 98%, respectively. STB provides a design basis for the development of organic electrode materials with high energy density and high cycle stability. [Display omitted] •Organic electrode materials can exist stably in aprotic electrolyte.•Stability of sodiation state is also important for organic electrode materials.•The possibility of becoming an organic electrode material can be calculated by DFT.