Conjugated Ladder-Type Polymer with Hexaazatriphenylene Units as a Cathode Material for Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium Batteries

A ladder-type conjugated polymer with hexaazatriphenylene moieties is reported, and its application as a cathode material for Li-, Na-, and K-based batteries is assessed. The material demonstrates specific capacities of 170–180 mA h g–1 at 0.1 A g–1, and up to 113 mA h g–1 at 5 A g–1 (charge/discharge in ∼80 s). It also shows superior cycling stability, especially in potassium cells that show no capacity fade after 4000 cycles at 5 A g–1. Charge–discharge processes of the material are probed using operando Raman spectroscopy.