Research progress on conjugated carbonyl polymer electrodes for organic lithium batteries

Conjugated carbonyl polymers (CCPs) have emerged as a promising class of organic electrode materials for high-performance organic lithium batteries, offering unique advantages such as structural versatility, tunable electrochemical properties, sustainability, and high theoretical capacity. These materials address key limitations of traditional inorganic electrodes, including resource scarcity and environmental concerns. Their conjugated π-systems enhance electron transport, and polymerised structures improve anti-dissolution and thermal stability. However, challenges such as low conductivity, limited carbonyl utilization, high synthesis costs, and compatibility issues with existing battery systems hinder their practical application. This review comprehensively summarizes the research progress of CCPs in organic lithium batteries, focusing on strategies to optimize their structure and performance through molecular engineering, morphology control, composite synthesis, and electrode fabrication. It analyzes the fundamental relationships between molecular structure, electrochemical performance, and practical applicability, highlighting advancements in enhancing conductivity, cycle stability, and rate capability. Furthermore, the review discusses current challenges, including cost reduction of synthesis, improvement of structural stability, and optimisation of interfaces, alongside potential solutions and future research directions. By integrating insights from computational simulations, experimental studies, and practical application considerations, this work underscores the potential of CCPs to advance next-generation high-energy-density, sustainable organic lithium batteries, paving the way for their broader adoption in energy storage technologies.