Carbon dioxide derived poly (propylene carbonate-propylene oxide) as electrode material for energy storage

The utilization of polymers in the design of electrode materials for energy storage is increasingly being sought after by both the academia and industry. Recently, several solid electrodes have been developed based on conducting polymers derived from carbonaceous fossil fuel resources. The use of biodegradable polymers derived from carbon dioxide in the design of electrode materials is preferred for sustainability and environmental protection. This study presents an electrode material developed from poly (propylene carbonate-propylene oxide) (PPC-PO), which was produced from the co-polymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) and propylene oxide (PO). The PPC-PO copolymer was synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The PPC-PO copolymer (Mn = 4.2 kg mol− 1, PDI = 2.2) was functionalized through solvothermal treatment to yield the FPPC-PO electrode material. FTIR analysis of the functionalized PPC-PO (FPPC-PO) showed that it retained key functional groups observed in the original PPC-PO copolymer. The FPPC-PO exhibited high thermal stability up to 229 °C, undergoing complete decomposition between 330 °C and 385 °C. The FPPC-PO electrode material exhibited excellent electrochemical properties including a specific capacitance of 68.47 F/g and a current density of 0.3 A/g. The FPPC-PO displayed good stability as an electrode material, with a capacitance retention rate of 98.5% up to 9000 cycles at current density of 1.0 A/g.