Structure–property relationships in disodium anthracene dicarboxylate for sodium-ion storage via 3D electron diffraction

Abstract

Organic materials are increasingly commanding attention as a sustainable choice for charge storage in rechargeable batteries. To fully realise their promise, significantly more understanding is needed in terms of structure-property correlations. Here we report a highly conjugated molecule, disodium anthracene-9,10-carboxylate (Na2ADC), synthesised using rapid microwave-assisted heating and evaluated as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries. Detailed material characterisation is reported, including the crystal structure determined from three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED) studies, demonstrating the suitability and advantage of this method for the structural characterisation of organic electrode materials. This study highlights the role of molecular design and structural properties in facilitating the delivery of high-performing organic electrode materials.