Recyclable Organic Redox Molecules for Sustainable Batteries.

Sustainable and environment-friendly rechargeable devices are required to meet increasing electrical energy demands. Organic batteries are fabricated using organic redox materials which are potentially synthesised from earth-abundant components. However, to avoid plastic pollution, these organic materials must display sufficient functions and ensure safe management post-utilisation. This study demonstrated a sustainable and environment-friendly recycling method for functional organic materials developed using organic redox molecules. These molecules could be prepared from earth-abundant and sustainable raw chemicals via environment-friendly preparation routes. The eco-friendly battery, which uses organic redox molecules as anode- and cathode-active materials and neutral aqueous solution as an electrolyte, exhibited high cyclability (>95 % capacity after 100 cycles) and high-rate capability (15 C). After use, the electrode-active material was separated and/or decomposed to the original raw chemicals, demonstrating a green and sustainable option to use conventional organic redox materials.