POLYACENE AS AN ANODE IN LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

Polyacene was prepared from a phenol-formaldehyde resin by pyrolysis u nder an inert atmosphere, whose morphological structure was shown to b e amorphous and porous. The electrochemical properties of Li/polyacene cells using an 1 M LiClO4 solution of ethylene carbonate (EC) and pro pylene carbonate (PC) as electrolyte were studied by means of constant current cycle and cyclic voltammetry. This cell was found to have a c oulometric efficiency of more than 95% and a discharge plateau at arou nd 0.4 V. The results shows that polyacene possesses reversibility for the intercalation or de-intercalation of lithium ions in the structur e due to its larger surface area (ca. 1500 m2/g) and wider lamellar di stance (0.3912 nm). In the voltage range between 2.0 and 4.0 V, a rock ing chair battery of the type, (-)polyacene/Li-ClO4 + PC + EC/polyanil ine(+), can be reversibly cycled many times with a capacity of 35 mAh/ g.