Sulfur cathode hosted in porous organic polymeric matrices

1. A composite material comprising a porous organic polymer and an electrochemically active material, wherein the porous organic polymer contains a plurality of pores having a diameter of from about 0.1 nm to about 100 nm, and the electrochemically active material is disposed within the pores; wherein the porous organic polymer is represented as:

2. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active material is sulfur, selenium, tellurium, Li 2 S x or Li 2 Se x .

3. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the pores have a diameter of from about 0.5 nm to about 2 nm.

4. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active material is present in from about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % of the composite material.

5. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the porous organic polymer is non-conductive.

6. An energy storage device comprising

a cathode comprising the composite material of claim 1 ,

an anode;

a separator; and

an electrolyte comprising a solvent and an alkali metal salt.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the anode comprises lithium.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the cathode farther comprises a conductive polymer.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the conductive polymer comprises polyaniline, polypyrrole, poly(pyrrole-co-aniline), polyphenylene, polythiophene, polyacetylene, polysiloxane, or polyfluorene.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein the solvent comprises a fluorinated ether solvent, a cyclic ether, a siloxyl ether solvent, a silyl carbonate solvent, or a siloxyl carbonate solvent.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the fluorinated ether solvent is represented by Formula I or II:

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 are individually a C n H x F y group;

R 3 and R 5 are individually O or CR 6 R 7 ;

R 4 is O or C═O;

each R 6 and R 7 is individually H, F or a C n H x F y group;

each x is individually from 0 to 2n;

each y is individually from 1 to 2n+1; and

each n is individually an integer from 1 to 20,

with the proviso that at least one R 6 or R 7 is other than H, and R 4 is not O when R 3 or R 5 is O.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the fluorinated ether solvent is represented by Formula I, and R 1 and R 2 are individually CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 2 CHF 2 ; CF 2 CH 2 F; CF 2 CH 3 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 3 CF 2 CHF 2 ; CF 2 CF 2 CH 2 F; CF 2 CF 2 CH 3 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CHF 2 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CH 2 F; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CH 3 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CHF 2 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CH 2 F; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CH 3 ; or CF 2 CF 2 OCF 3 .

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the fluorinated ether solvent is CHF 2 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 CF 2 H; CF 3 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 3 ; CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 3 CF 2 CF 2 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 3 OCF 2 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 CF 3 ; CF 3 CF 2 OCF 2 CH 2 F;

14. A method of preparing the composite material of claim 1 , comprising heating a mixture of particles comparing an electrochemically active material and a porous organic polymer at a temperature suitable for depositing the electrochemically active material into pores in the porous organic polymer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heating is performed under inert conditions which comprises He, Ar, or N 2 .

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heating s performed under reducing conditions which comprises an inert gas.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the reducing conditions further comprises hydrogen at a concentration from about 0.1 vol % to about 5 vol % of an inert gas.