Chalcone as Anode Material for Aqueous Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries

Utilization of environmental friendly, potentially sustainable, low cost, high capacity organic electrode materials seem to be very promising for next generation rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. In fact, numerous organic materials with electrochemically active carbonyl groups have been effectively stated as electrode materials. Herein, we report an ideal organic species derived from aromatic ketone, namely chalcone (CLN). Synthesis of chalcone has been developed via Claisen–Schmidt condensation of benzaldehyde and acetophenone in the presence of alumina sulfuric acid as environmentally benign, biodegradable and reusable catalyst under solvent-free conditions followed by lithiation using ball-milling method. CLN and lithiated chalcone (LiCLN) was synthesized and characterized using 1H-NMR, XRD and IR spectroscopy techniques. Electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling with potential limitation and potentio electrochemical impedance were carried out to study the electrochemical properties and performance in saturated aqueous Li2SO4 electrolyte. As an anode material, LiCLN showed exceptional performance such as; good reversible capacity, excellent cyclability and high rate capability when tested in half-cell configuration. The cell LiCLN | aqueous saturated Li2SO4 | LiFePO4 delivered a discharge capacity of 111.23 mA h g–1 at C/8 rate and maintains 91% capacity retention even after 1000 repeated cycles.