Secondary battery and method for charging and discharging secondary battery

1. A secondary battery comprising:

an electrode active material; and

an electrolyte solution having an electrolyte salt in a solvent,

wherein the electrode active material contains, as a main component thereof, a multi-electron organic compound which has two or more electrons to be involved in a battery electrode reaction,

the solvent contains a sulfone compound, and

a part of the electrode active material is oligomerized at least at a first time of charge and discharge of the secondary battery.

2. The secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the sulfone compound is represented by the general formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 are at least one of a linear alkyl group and a branched alkyl group respectively having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

3. The secondary battery according to claim 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or are linked with each other to forma saturated or unsaturated ring.

4. The secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-electron organic compound contains, in structural unit thereof, at least one selected from the group consisting of dithione compounds having a dithione structure, dione compounds having a dione structure, and diamine compounds having a diamine structure.

5. The secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein the dithione compound is represented by the general formula:

wherein R 3 and R 4 are any of a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted imino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioaryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted formyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted silyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitro group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitroso group, a substituted or unsubstituted carboxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group, and linking groups composed of combination of one or more thereof.

6. The secondary battery according to claim 5 , wherein R 3 and R 4 are the same or are linked with each other to forma saturated or unsaturated cyclic structure.

7. The secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein the dithione compound is represented by the general formula:

wherein R 5 and R 7 are any of a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted imino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioaryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted formyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted silyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitro group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitroso group, a substituted or unsubstituted carboxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group and linking groups composed of combination of one or more thereof, and R 6 is at least one of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group and a substituted or unsubstituted imino group.

8. The secondary battery according to claim 7 , wherein R 5 and R 7 are the same or are linked with each other to forma saturated or unsaturated cyclic structure.

9. The secondary battery according to claim 7 , wherein R 6 is the substituted or unsubstituted imino groups, and the imino groups are linked with each other.

10. The secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein the dione compound is represented by the general formula:

wherein R 8 and R 9 are any of a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted imino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioaryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted formyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted silyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitro group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitroso group, a substituted or unsubstituted carboxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group and linking groups composed of combination of one or more thereof.

11. The secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein R 8 and R 9 are the same or are linked with each other to forma saturated or unsaturated cyclic structure.

12. The secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein the dione compound is represented by the general formula:

wherein R 10 and R 12 are any of a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted imino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioaryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted formyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted silyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitro group, a substituted or unsubstituted nitroso group, a substituted or unsubstituted carboxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group and linking groups composed of combination of one or more thereof, and R 11 is at least one of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group and a substituted or unsubstituted imino group.

13. The secondary battery according to claim 12 , wherein R 10 and R 12 are the same or are linked with each other to form a saturated or unsaturated cyclic structure.

14. The secondary battery according to claim 12 , wherein R 11 is the substituted or unsubstituted imino group, and the imino groups are linked with each other.

15. The secondary battery according to claim 4 , wherein the diamine compound is represented by the general formula:

wherein R 13 and R 14 are any of a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted carbonyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted acyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted ester group, a substituted or unsubstituted ether group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioether group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted amide group, a substituted or unsubstituted sulfone group, a substituted or unsubstituted thiosulfonyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted sulfonamide group, a substituted or unsubstituted imino group, a substituted or unsubstituted azo group, and linking groups composed of combination of one or more thereof; and X 1 to X 4 are at least one of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a cyano group, a carboxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxycarbonyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted acyl group and a substituted or unsubstituted acyloxy group.

16. The secondary battery according to claim 15 , wherein X 1 to X 4 form a cyclic structure therebetween.

17. The secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode active material is contained in any one of a reaction starting material, a reaction product and an intermediate product in at least a discharge reaction of the battery electrode reaction.

18. The secondary battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and the positive electrode contains the electrode active material as a main component thereof.

19. A method for charging and discharging a secondary battery containing an electrode active material and an electrolyte solution formed by dissolving an electrolyte salt in a solvent containing a sulfone compound, the method comprising:

repeating charging and discharging using a battery electrode reaction of the electrode active material,

wherein the electrode active material contains, as a main component thereof, a multi-electron organic compound which has two or more electrons to be involved in the battery electrode reaction, and

a part of the electrode active material is dissolved in and reacted with the electrolyte solution to be oligomerized at least at a first time of charge and discharge of the secondary battery.