Non‐metallic Cation Storage using Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) Shells

Abstract

Previous studies propose that NH4+ storage in metal oxides and metallic ion storage using Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) both undergo diffusion‐controlled processes. This study, employing experimental and simulation studies, reveals that flower‐like PEDOT shells predominantly store NH4+ ions storage through surface‐controlled processes, constituting over 80 percent of the overall storage. NH4+ ions interact with PEDOT's π‐π stacking via van der Waals interactions, circumventing ionization energy and entropy barriers. Additionally, the controlled polymerization and crystallinity of PEDOT contribute significantly to this storage process. The reduction in lamellar packing distance and face‐to‐face distance between the molecular chains, coupled with an increase in crystalline domains, intensifies inter‐chain weak interactions and extends the overlap length of wave functions. These findings offer a comprehensive insight into cation storage using organic polymers.