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Daqus Energy makes lithium-ion battery cathodes via organic synthesis The use of inorganic elements—such as cobalt, manganese, and nickel—as components in lithium-ion battery cathodes may be temporary. Daqus Energy claims cathode material made from bis-tetraaminobenzoquinone (TAQ) could be cheaper, more sustainable, and better performing than the incumbents. “From an academic, historical perspective, development of organic battery materials has long been sought as an ideal alternative, but with no success in commercialization due to three persistent barriers: solubility in electrolytes, poor electronic conductivity, and low energy density,” says Daqus Energy’s CEO, Harish Banda. “TAQ addresses all three.” TAQ is synthesized as a dimer. It is insoluble, highly crystalline, and electrically conductive. Daqus makes the molecule from tetraamino-benzoquinone (TABQ), which it synthesizes from chloranil, a small organic molecule that is mass produced and sells for less than $1 per kilogram, Banda says. In contrast, cobalt sells for about $33 per kilogram. Banda started developing the technology in collaboration with Automobili Lamborghini while a postdoctoral scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the laboratory of Daqus cofounder Mircea Dincă. The carmaker Lamborghini is a partner. Banda and Dincă published research last year showing that a layered organic cathode is suitable for high-energy, fast-charging, and long-lasting lithium-ion batteries. The cofounders and other scientists found that their cathode delivers an energy density of 765 Wh/kg—higher than most cobalt-rich cathodes—and that it could charge and discharge in 6 min.The company emerged from stealth earlier this year after raising $6 million in seed funding from Morningside