A Conjugated Copolymer of N-Phenyl-p-phenylenediamine and Pyrene as Promising Cathode for Rechargeable Lithium–Ion Batteries

A novel conjugated copolymer has been synthesized and employed as an organic cathode material in rechargeable lithium–ion batteries (LIBs). Due to the synergistic effects from conducting aniline and pyrene units, the resultant batteries based on the as-obtained copolymer can deliver a promising reversible specific capacity of 113 mAh g⁻¹ with a high voltage output of 3.2 V and a remarkable 75.2 % capacity retention after 180 cycles. Moreover, an excellent rate performance is also achieved with a fast recovery of the capacity at different current densities.