Polypeptide organic radical batteries
Top Cited Papers
- 5 May 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature
- Vol. 593 (7857), 61-66
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03399-1
Abstract
In only a few decades, lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized technologies, enabling the proliferation of portable devices and electric vehicles1, with substantial benefits for society. However, the rapid growth in technology has highlighted the ethical and environmental challenges of mining lithium, cobalt and other mineral ore resources, and the issues associated with the safe usage and non-hazardous disposal of batteries2. Only a small fraction of lithium-ion batteries are recycled, further exacerbating global material supply of strategic elements3,4,5. A potential alternative is to use organic-based redox-active materials6,7,8 to develop rechargeable batteries that originate from ethically sourced, sustainable materials and enable on-demand deconstruction and reconstruction. Making such batteries is challenging because the active materials must be stable during operation but degradable at end of life. Further, the degradation products should be either environmentally benign or recyclable for reconstruction into a new battery. Here we demonstrate a metal-free, polypeptide-based battery, in which viologens and nitroxide radicals are incorporated as redox-active groups along polypeptide backbones to function as anode and cathode materials, respectively. These redox-active polypeptides perform as active materials that are stable during battery operation and subsequently degrade on demand in acidic conditions to generate amino acids, other building blocks and degradation products. Such a polypeptide-based battery is a first step to addressing the need for alternative chemistries for green and sustainable batteries in a future circular economy.This publication has 45 references indexed in Scilit:
- Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion Battery: A Critical ReviewCritical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2014
- Polyviologen Hydrogel with High-Rate Capability for Anodes toward an Aqueous Electrolyte-Type and Organic-Based Rechargeable DeviceACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2013
- Self-assembling peptide scaffolds for regenerative medicineChemical Communications, 2011
- p‐ and n‐Type Bipolar Redox‐Active Radical Polymer: Toward Totally Organic Polymer‐Based Rechargeable Devices with Variable ConfigurationAdvanced Materials, 2010
- Thiol–Ene Click ChemistryAngewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2010
- An Aqueous, Electrolyte‐Type, Rechargeable Device Utilizing a Hydrophilic Radical Polymer‐CathodeMacromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 2009
- Synthesis and Properties of DNA Complexes Containing 2,2,6,6‐Tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinoxy (TEMPO) Moieties as Organic Radical Battery MaterialsChemistry – A European Journal, 2008
- Helical polyacetylenes carrying 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy and 2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1‐pyrrolidinyloxy moieties: Their synthesis, properties, and functionJournal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2007
- Synthesis of Poly(4-methacryloyloxy-TEMPO) via Group-Transfer Polymerization and Its Evaluation in Organic Radical BatteryChemistry of Materials, 2007
- Chlorotrimethylsilane Mediated Formation of ω-Allyl Esters of Aspartic And Glutamic AcidsSynthetic Communications, 1990