Low-Dimensional and High-Crystallinity Carbonyl Cathodes Prepared by Physical Vapor Deposition for Green Aluminum Organic Batteries

We report a low-cost, high theoretical specific capacity π-conjugated organic compound (PTCDA) with CO active centers as the cathode material in aluminum organic batteries. In addition, in order to improve the electron transport rate of PTCDA, a new method is proposed in this paper, which uses physical vapor deposition (PVD) method to make PTCDA recrystallize and grow on stainless steel and quartz glass substrates to improve its crystallinity. The increase of crystallinity expands the PTCDA π–π-conjugated system, making electrons more delocalized, which is beneficial to the transmission rate of electrons and ions, thereby enhancing the conductivity of the material. The experimental results show that compared with pristine PTCDA, PTCDA­(Ss) and PTCDA­(G) with higher crystallinity have better cycling stability and rate capability. The DFT (density functional theory) results indicated that the electron-deficient carbonyl group in the PTCDA molecule could reversibly coordinate/dissociate with the positively charged Al complex ions (AlCl2 +). This research work provides insights into the rational design of low-dimensional, high-crystallinity, high-performance cathode materials for green aluminum organic batteries.