Perylene Diimide Materials for Batteries, Supercapacitors, and Photoelectrochemical Devices

Fast, reliable, and sustainable electrochemical and photoelectrochemical energy technologies need materials that can move charge efficiently, remain stable over many cycles, and be manufactured with control over structure at multiple length scales. Perylene diimide (PDI) materials—a family of π-conjugated, redox-active organic semiconductors—have emerged as versatile building blocks for batteries, supercapacitors, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices. Their appeal comes from modular molecular design, strong light absorption, tunable energy levels, and the ability to assemble into well-defined nanostructures. At the same time, practical deployment still depends on solving key challenges such as conductivity and ion transport in thick electrodes, interfacial stability, degradation pathways, and scalable processing without losing the advantages of controlled morphology.This Research Topic focuses on PDI-based materials and architectures across the full chain from molecular design to device validation, with particular attention to how processing–structure–property relationships govern performance in electrochemical energy storage and PEC systems. The Topic welcomes multidisciplinary contributions that provide in-depth insight into novel materials and devices for advanced battery applications and related electrochemical technologies, supporting progress toward SDG 7, SDG 9, and SDG 11.Areas of interest include (but are not limited to):- Molecular and polymer design of PDI materials: Substituent engineering, polymerization/copolymerization, functionalization for solubility and stability, and structure–redox relationships.- Processing–structure control: Self-assembly, crystallinity and polymorph selection, thin-film formation, printing/coating routes, porosity and hierarchical morphology, and binder/additive strategies.- Charge and ion transport mechanisms: Electronic conductivity enhancement, mixed ionic–electronic transport, percolation and hopping models, and the role of defects and grain boundaries.- Electrochemical energy storage applications: PDI-based electrodes for Li/Na/K/Zn/Al systems, organic cathodes/anodes, redox mediators, aqueous vs. non-aqueous compatibility, and rate/cycling performance in realistic formats.- Supercapacitors and hybrid devices: Pseudocapacitive behavior, redox-active electrolytes, electrode/electrolyte matching, and high-power performance under practical mass loadings.- Photoelectrochemical and photo-assisted systems: PDI photoelectrodes, sensitization and charge separation, interfacial energetics, cocatalyst integration, and stability under illumination and bias.- Interfaces, stability, and degradation: SEI/CEI formation, dissolution or shuttling, photochemical and electrochemical aging, and strategies for mitigation through molecular design or surface engineering.- Characterization, modeling, and validation: Operando/in situ spectroscopy and microscopy, multiscale modeling, lifetime testing, and translation from material metrics to device-level figures of merit.By bringing together organic electronics, electrochemistry, and device engineering, this Research Topic aims to clarify what PDI materials can realistically deliver in batteries, supercapacitors, and PEC devices—and which design rules and scalable processing approaches can turn promising laboratory demonstrations into robust technologies. Topic editors: ISLAM MEKHEMER, RACHANA KUMAR, Aditya Tiwari Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77995/perylene-diimide-materials-for-batteries-supercapacitors-and-photoelectrochemical-devices