Assessing n-type organic materials for lithium batteries: A techno-economic review

The high demand for critical minerals such as lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt, required for lithium-ion batteries, has raised questions regarding the feasibility of maintaining a steady and affordable supply of raw materials for their production. In the last years, researchers have shifted their attention toward organic materials, which are potentially more widely available, affordable, and sustainable due to the ubiquitous presence of the constituent organic elements. The n-type materials have a redox mechanism analogous to that of lithium-ion cathodes and anodes, hence they are suitable for a meaningful comparison with the state-of-the-art technology. While many reviews have evaluated the properties of organic materials at the material or electrode level, herein, the properties of n-type organic materials are assessed in a complex system, such as a full battery, to evaluate the feasibility and performance of these materials in commercial-scale battery systems. The most relevant cathode materials for organic batteries are reviewed, and a detailed cost and performance analysis of n-type material-based battery packs using the BatPaC 5.0 software is presented. The analysis considers the influence of electrode design choices, such as the conductive carbon content, active material mass loading, and electrode density, on energy density and cost. The potential of n-type organic materials as a low-cost and sustainable solution for energy storage applications is highlighted, while emphasizing the need for further advancements of organic materials for energy storage applications. (Figure presented.).