Perylenetetracarboxylic Diimide as Diffusion-Less Electrode Material for High-Rate Organic Na-Ion Batteries

In this work 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) is investigated as electrode material for organic Na-ion batteries. Since PTCDI is a widely used industrial pigment, it may turn out to be a cost-effective, abundant, and environmentally benign cathode material for secondary Na-ion batteries. Among other carbonyl pigments, PTCDI is especially interesting due to its high Na-storage capacity in combination with remarkable high rate capabilities. The detailed analysis of cyclic voltammetry measurements reveals a diffusion-less mechanism, suggesting that Na-ion storage in the PTCDI film allows for exceptionally fast charging/discharging rates. This finding is further corroborated by galvanostatic sodiation measurements at high rates of 17 C (2.3 A g^-1 ), showing that 57 % of the theoretically possible capacity of PTCDI, or 78 mAh g^-1 , are attained in only 3.5 min charging time.