The future of renewable energy has never looked greener
Amid a changing climate and dwindling fossil fuel resources
renewable energy technology is quickly gaining traction
But one big obstacle is the uncertainty in renewable energy production
While rechargeable lithium-ion batteries could help cushion swings in wind and solar
their metallic components tend to be expensive and time-consuming to produce
and pose a big electronic waste problem
For that reason, researchers are turning toward more eco-friendly materials for batteries
So-called organic electrodes are highly stable, easy to process, and energy-dense
Like their inorganic counterparts, they shuttle lithium ions into and out of their chemical structure to deliver power
And because they are largely carbon-based, they’re naturally abundant and even recyclable
Scaling up the production of these materials remains an issue
But already they point to a much greener future for renewable energy
Oubaha et al. "Carbonyl-Based π-Conjugated Materials: From Synthesis to Applications in Li-Ion Batteries." ChemPlusChem (2019)