71) Md. Adil, Maximilian Schmidt, Julia Vogt, Thomas Diemant, Martin Oschatz, Birgit Esser*
"Mitigating Dissolution to Enhance the Performance of Pillar[5]quinone in Sodium Batteries"
Batteries & Supercaps 2024, e202400312. DOI: 10.1002/batt.202400312
70) Robin Wessling, Hendrik Koger, Fabian Otteny, Maximilian Schmidt, Arthur Semmelmaier, Birgit Esser*
"Unlocking twofold oxidation in phenothiazine polymers for application in symmetric all-organic anionic batteries"
ACS Appl. Polymer Mater. 2024, 6, 7956–7968. DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.4c00500
69) Liping Wang,* Sibylle Riedel, Alexander Welle, Smobin Vincent, Sirshendu Dinda, Bosubabu Dasari, Juan Maria Garcia Lastra, Birgit Esser, Zhirong Zhao-Karger
"Advancing Reversible Magnesium-Sulfur Batteries with a Self-Standing Gel Polymer Electrolyte"
ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2024, 7, 14, 5857–5868. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.4c01049
68) Sebastian M. Pallasch,‡ Manik Bhosale,‡ Glen J. Smales, Caroline Schmidt, Sibylle Riedel, Zhirong Zhao-Karger, Birgit Esser,* Oliver Dumele* (‡equal contribution)
"A Porous Azatruxene Covalent Organic Framework for Anion Insertion in Battery Cells"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 17318–17324. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04044.
67) Maximilian Schmidt, Lydia Abellán Vicente, M. Teresa González, Linda Angela Zotti, Birgit Esser,* Edmund Leary*
"Low-lying LUMO Boosts Conductance in Antiaromatic Dibenzopentalene Versus Aromatic Analogues"
Chem. Eur. J. 2024, e202400935 (Hot Paper). DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400935
66) Jan Büttner, Rodrigo Delgado, Robin Wessling, Yu Wang, Birgit Esser, Uli Würfel,* Anna Fischer*
"Energy Harvesting and Storage with a High Voltage Organic Inorganic Photo-Battery for Internet of Things Applications"
Energy Technol. 2024, 12, 2301421. DOI: 10.1002/ente.202301421
65) Manik Bhosale, Caroline Schmidt, Philipp Penert, Gauthier Studer, Birgit Esser*
"Anion-Rocking Chair Batteries with Tuneable Voltage using Viologen- and Phenothiazine Polymer-based Electrodes"
ChemSusChem 2024, 17, e202301143. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301143
64) Bowen Ding, Manik Bhosale, Troy L. R. Bennett, Martin Heeney, Felix Plasser, Birgit Esser,* Florian Glöcklhofer*
"Reducing Undesired Solubility of Squarephaneic Tetraimide for Use as an Organic Battery Electrode Material"
Faraday Discussions 2024, 250, 129–144. DOI: 10.1039/D3FD00145H.
63) Matthias Uhl, Sadeeda, Philipp Penert, Philipp A. Schuster, Benjamin W. Schick, Simon Muench, Attila Farkas, Ulrich S. Schubert, Birgit Esser, Alexander J. C. Kuehne, Timo Jacob*
"All-Organic Battery Based on Deep Eutectic Solvent and Redox-Active Polymers"
ChemSusChem 2024, 17, e202301057. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301057.
62) Rodrigo Delgado Andrés,‡ Robin Wessling,‡ Jan Büttner, Leonie Pap, Anna Fischer, Birgit Esser,* Uli Würfel*
"Organic photo-battery with high operating voltage using a multi-junction organic solar cell and an organic redox-polymer-based battery"
Energy Environ. Sci. 2023, 16, 5255–5264. DOI: 10.1039/D3EE01822A
61) Philipp Seitz, Manik Bhosale, Luisa Rzesny, Anselm Uhlmann, Jan S. Wössner, Robin Wessling, Birgit Esser*
"Conjugated Nanohoop Polymers based on Antiaromatic Dibenzopentalenes for Charge Storage in Organic Batteries"
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202306184. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202306184
60) Gauthier Studer, Alexei Schmidt, Jan Büttner, Maximilian Schmidt, Anna Fischer, Ingo Krossing,* Birgit Esser*
"On a high-capacity aluminium battery with a two-electron phenothiazine redox polymer as positive electrode"
Energy Environ. Sci. 2023, 16, 3760–3769. DOI: 10.1039/D3EE00235G.
59) Alia Jouhara, Luisa Rzesny, Valentin Rialland, Camille Latouche, Philippe Poizot,* Birgit Esser*
"Fusing thiadiazol and terephthalate: A concept to promote the electrochemical performance of conjugated dicarboxylates"
ChemSusChem 2023, 16, e202300286. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202300286.
58) Mathias Hermann, David C. Grenz, Birgit Esser*
"Engineering the packing structure of thioether- and sulfone-substituted dibenzo[a,e]pentalenes by pentafluorophenyl substitution"
J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2023, 36, e4491. DOI: 10.1002/poc.4491.
57) Josefine Sprachmann, Tommy Wachsmuth, Manik Bhosale, David Burmeister, Glen J. Smales, Maximilian Schmidt, Zdravko Kochovski, Niklas Grabicki, Robin Wessling, Birgit Esser,* Oliver Dumele*
"Antiaromatic Covalent Organic Frameworks Based on Dibenzopentalenes"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 2840–2851. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10501.
56) Gauthier Desmaizieres, Verena Perner, Daniel Wassy, Martin Kolek, Peter Bieker,* Martin Winter, Birgit Esser*
"Evaluating the polymer backbone – vinylene versus styrene – of anisyl-substituted phenothiazines as battery electrode materials"
Batteries & Supercaps 2022, 6, e202200464. DOI: 10.1002/batt.202200464
55) Bärbel Tengen, Timo Winkelmann, Niklas Ortlieb, Verena Perner, Gauthier Studer, Martin Winter, Birgit Esser,* Anna Fischer,* Peter Bieker*
"Immobilizing Poly(vinylphenothiazine) in Ketjenblack-based Electrodes to Access its Full Specific Capacity as Battery Electrode Material"
Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023, 33, 2210512; DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202210512.
54) Robin Wessling, Rodrigo Delgado Andres, Isabel Morhenn, Pascal Acker, Wafa Maftuhin, Michael Walter,* Uli Würfel,* Birgit Esser*
"Phenothiazine-based donor-acceptor polymers as multifunctional materials for charge storage and solar energy conversion"
Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2024, 45, 2200699. DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200699
53) Alexei Schmidt, Hendrik Koger, Antoine Barthélemy, Gauthier Studer, Birgit Esser, Ingo Krossing*
"Is One of the Least Coordinating Anions Suitable to Serve as Electrolyte Salt for Magnesium Ion Batteries?"
Batteries & Supercaps 2022, e202200340. DOI: 10.1002/batt.202200340
52) Pascal Acker, Jan S Wössner, Gauthier Desmaizieres, and Birgit Esser*
"Conjugated Copolymer Design in Phenothiazine-Based Battery Materials Enables High Mass Loading Electrodes"
ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2022, 10, 3236–3244. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c07564
51) Jan S. Wössner, Julia Kohn, Daniel Wassy, Mathias Hermann, Stefan Grimme, and Birgit Esser*
"Increased Antiaromaticity through Pentalene Connection in [n]Cyclo-1,5-dibenzopentalenes"
Org. Lett. 2022, 24, 983–988. DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c03900
50) Birgit Esser,* Jan S Wössner, Mathias Hermann
"Conjugated Nanohoops with Dibenzo[a,e]pentalenes as Non-alternant and Antiaromatic π-Systems"
Synlett 2022, 33, 737–753 DOI: 10.1055/a-1740-7139
49) David C. Grenz, Daniel Rose, Jan S.
Wössner, Jennifer Wilbuer,
Florin Adler, Mathias Hermann, Chin-Yiu Chan,
Chihaya Adachi, Birgit
Esser*
"Spiroconjugated Tetraaminospirenes as Donors in Color-tunable Charge-transfer Emitters with Donor-acceptor Structure"
Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 28, e202104150. DOI: 10.1002/chem.202104150
48) M. Schmidt, B. Esser*
"Cavity-promotion by pillar[5]arenes expedites organic photoredox-catalysed reductive dehalogenations"
Chem. Commun. 2021, 57, 9582–9585. DOI:
10.1039/D1CC03221F
47) J. S. Wössner, D. Wassy, A. Weber, M. Bovenkerk, M. Hermann, M. Schmidt, B. Esser*
"[n]Cyclodibenzopentalenes as Antiaromatic Curved Nanocarbons with High Strain and Strong Fullerene Binding"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 12244–12252. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05251
46) F. Otteny, V. Perner, C. Einholz, G. Desmaizieres, E. Schleicher, M. Kolek,* P. Bieker, M. Winter, B. Esser*
"Bridging the Gap between Small Molecular π-Interactions and their Effect on Phenothiazine-Based Redox Polymers in Organic Batteries"
ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2021, 4, 7622–7631. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.1c00917
45) D. Wassy, M. Hermann, J. S. Wössner, L. Frédéric, G. Pieters, B. Esser*
"Enantiopure nanohoops through racemic resolution of diketo[n]CPPs by chiral derivatization as precursors to DBP[n]CPPs"
Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 10150–10158. DOI:
10.1039/D1SC02718B (part of the Themed Collection "2021 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection")
44) V. Perner, D. Diddens, F. Otteny, V. Küpers, P. Bieker, B. Esser,* M. Winter, M. Kolek*
"Insights into the solubility of poly(vinylphenothiazine) in carbonate-based battery electrolytes"
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 12442–12453. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c20012
43) M. Hermann, D. Wassy, B. Esser*
"Conjugated Nanohoops Incorporating Donor‐, Acceptor‐, Hetero‐ or Polycyclic Aromatics"
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 15743–15766.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202007024
42) M. Hermann, D. Wassy, J. Kohn, P. Seitz, M. U. Betschart, S. Grimme, B. Esser*
"Chiral Dibenzopentalene-based Conjugated Nanohoops through Stereoselective Synthesis"
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 10680–10689. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202016968
41) G. Desmaizieres, M. E. Speer, I. Thiede, P. Gaiser, V. Perner, M. Kolek,* P. Bieker, M. Winter, B. Esser*
"Dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctatetraene-functionalized polymers as potential battery electrode materials"
Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2021, 2000725, DOI:
10.1002/marc.202000725
40) M. Hermann, T. Böttcher, M. Schorpp, S. Richert, D. Wassy, I. Krossing, B. Esser*
"Cations and Anions of Dibenzo[a,e]pentalene and Reduction of a Dibenzo[a,e]pentalenophane"
Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 17, 4964–4970. DOI: 10.1002/chem.202005131
39) Y. Ikari, T. Kaihara, S. Goto, M. Bovenkerk, D. C. Grenz, B. Esser*, M. Ferreira, P. Stachelek, P. Data*, T. Yoshida, T. Ikai, N. Tohnai, S. Minakata, Y. Takeda*
"Peripherally Donor-Installed 7,8-Diaza[5]helicenes as a Platform for Helical Luminophores"
Synthesis 2021, 53, 1584–1596. DOI: 10.1055/a-1343-5810
38) M. Schmidt, D. Wassy, M. Hermann, M. T. González, N. Agräit, L. A. Zotti,* B. Esser,* E. Leary*
"Single-Molecule Conductance of Dibenzopentalenes: Antiaromaticity and Quantum Interference"
Chem. Commun. 2021, 57, 745–748. DOI: 10.1039/D0CC06810A
37) B. Esser*, F. Dolhem, M. Becuwe, P. Poizot, A. Vlad, D. Brandell*
"A perspective on organic electrode materials and technologies for next generation batteries"
J. Power Sources. 2021, 482, 228814. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.228814
36) J. Ma, A. Ripp, D. Wassy, T. Dürr, D. Qiu, M. Häner, T. M. Haas, C. Popp, D. Bezold, S. Richert, B. Esser, H. J. Jessen*
"Thiocoumarin Caged Nucleotides: Synthetic Access and Their Photophysical Properties"
Molecules 2020, 25, 5325. DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225325
35) M. D. Hager, B. Esser, X. Feng, W. Schuhmann, P. Theato, U. S. Schubert*
"Polymer‐Based Batteries—Flexible and Thin Energy Storage Systems"
Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 2000587. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202000587
34) M. Schmidt, M. Hermann, F. Otteny, B. Esser*
"Calix[n]phenothiazines: Optoelectronic and Structural Properties and Host–Guest Chemistry"
Org. Mater. 2020, 2, 235-239. DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1714295
33) P. Acker, M. E. Speer, J. S. Wössner, B. Esser*
"Azine-based polymers with a two-electron redox process as cathode materials for organic batteries"
J. Mater. Chem. A 2020, 8, 11195–11201. DOI: 10.1039/D0TA04083E
32) J. S. Wössner, B. Esser*
"Spiroconjugated Donor−σ−Acceptor Charge-Transfer Dyes: Effect of the π-Subsystems on the Optoelectronic Properties"
J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 5048–5057. DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c00567
31) D. Wassy, M. Pfeifer, B. Esser*
"Synthesis and Properties of Conjugated Nanohoops Incorporating Dibenzo[a,e]pentalenes: [2]DBP[12]CPPs"
J.Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 34–43. DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b01195
(Highlighted in SYNFACTS as "SYNFACT of the Month": "Synthesis of Conjugated Nanohoops Containing Antiaromatic Units," Synfacts 2019, 15, 1121).
30) F. Otteny, G. Studer, M. Kolek*, P. Bieker, M. Winter, B. Esser*
"Phenothiazine‐functionalized poly(norbornene)s as high‐rate cathode‐materials for organic batteries "
ChemSusChem 2020, 13, 2232–2238. DOI:
10.1002/cssc.201903168
29) F. Otteny, V. Perner, D. Wassy, M. Kolek*, P. Bieker, M. Winter, B. Esser*
"Poly(vinylphenoxazine) as Fast-Charging Cathode Material for Organic Batteries "
ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2020, 8, 238–247. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b05253
28) B. Esser
"Redox polymers as electrode-active materials for batteries"
Org. Mater. 2019,
1, 63–70. DOI:
10.1055/s-0039-3401016
27) J. S. Wössner D. C. Grenz, D. Kratzert, B. Esser*
"Tuning the optical properties of spiro-centered charge-transfer dyes by extending the donor or acceptor part"
Org. Chem. Front. 2019, 6, 3649–3656. DOI: 10.1039/C9QO01134J
26) P. Acker, L. Rzesny, C. F. N. Marchiori, C. M. Araujo, B. Esser*
"π-Conjugation Enables Ultra-High Rate Capabilities and Cycling Stabilities in Phenothiazine Co-Polymers as Cathode-Active Battery Materials"
Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 29, 1906436 DOI:
10.1002/adfm.201906436
25) R. Hahn, F. Bohle, W. Fang, A. Walther, S. Grimme, B. Esser*
"Raising the Bar in Aromatic Donor-Acceptor Interactions with Cyclic Trinuclear Gold(I) Complexes as Strong π-Donors"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 17932–17944. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08823
24) F. Otteny, M. Kolek, J. Becking, M. Winter, P. Bieker,* B. Esser*
"Unlocking Full Discharge Capacities of Poly(vinylphenothiazine) as Battery Cathode Material by Decreasing Polymer Mobility Through Cross‐Linking"
Adv. Energy Mater. 2018, 8, 1802151. DOI:
10.1002/aenm.201802151
23) M. Kolek, F. Otteny, J. Becking, M. Winter, B. Esser,* P. Bieker*
"Mechanism of Charge/Discharge of Poly(vinylphenothiazine)-Based Li-Organic Batteries"
Chem. Mater. 2018, 30, 6307–6317. DOI:
10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b02015
22) M. Hermann, R. Wu, D. C. Grenz, D. Kratzert, H. Li,* B. Esser*
"Thioether- and sulfone-functionalized dibenzopentalenes as n‑channel semiconductors for organic field-effect transistors"
J. Mater. Chem. C 2018, 6, 5420–5426. DOI: 10.1039/C8TC00970H
21) M. Hermann, D. Wassy, D. Kratzert, B. Esser*
"Dibenzo[a,e]pentalenophanes – Bending a Non-Alternant Hydrocarbon"
Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 7374–7387 (Hot Paper). DOI: 10.1002/chem.201800322
20) R. Hahn, F. Bohle, S. Kotte, T. J. Keller, S.-S. Jester, A. Hansen, S. Grimme, B. Esser*
"Donor-acceptor interactions between cyclic trinuclear pyridinate gold(I)-complexes and electron-poor guests: Nature and energetics of guest-binding and templating on graphite"
Chem. Sci. 2018, 9, 3477–3483, DOI: 10.1039/C7SC05355J
19) D. C. Grenz, M. Schmidt, D. Kratzert, B. Esser*
"Dibenzo[a,e]pentalenes with Low-Lying LUMO Energy Levels as Potential n-Type Materials"
J. Org. Chem. 2018, 83, 656–663, DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.7b02250
18) M. E. Speer, C. Sterzenbach, B. Esser*
"Evaluation of cyclooctatetraene-based aliphatic polymers as battery materials: Synthesis, electrochemical and thermal characterization, supported by DFT-calculations"
ChemPlusChem 2017, 82, 1274–1281, DOI:
10.1002/cplu.201700356
17) M. Kolek, F. Otteny, P. Schmidt, C. Mück-Lichtenfeld, C. Einholz, J. Becking, E. Schleicher, M. Winter, P. M. Bieker*, B. Esser*
"Ultra-high cycling stability of poly(vinylphenothiazine) as battery cathode material resulting from π-π interactions"
Energy Environ. Sci. 2017, 10, 2334–2341, DOI: 10.1039/C7EE01473B
(Highlighted in Nature 2017, 549, 339–340).
16) J. Wilbuer, D. C. Grenz, G. Schnakenburg, B. Esser*
"Donor- and acceptor-functionalized dibenzo[a,e]pentalenes: Modulation of the electronic band gap"
Org. Chem. Front. 2017, 4, 658-663. DOI:
10.1039/C6QO00487C
15) J. Wilbuer, G. Schnakenburg, B. Esser*
"Syntheses, Structures and Optoelectronic Properties of Spiroconjugated Cyclic Ketones"
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2016, 2404-2412. DOI:
10.1002/ejoc.201600235
14) M. E. Speer, M. Kolek, J. J. Jassoy, J. Heine, M. Winter, P. M. Bieker, B. Esser*
"Thianthrene-functionalized polynorbornenes as high-voltage materials for organic cathode-based dual-ion batteries"
Chem. Commun. 2015, 51, 15261-15264. DOI: 10.1039/C5CC04932F
13) B. Esser
"Theoretical analysis of [5.5.6]cyclacenes: Electronic properties, strain energies and substituent effects"
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2015, 17, 7366-7372. DOI: 10.1039/C5CP00341E
12) M. Bovenkerk, B. Esser*
"Synthesis of Isoindoles By One-Electron Reductions of Dibenzo[1,4]diazocines"
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2015, 775-785. DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201403315
3) Birgit Esser, Helmut Ehrenberg, Maximilian Fichtner, Axel Groß, Jürgen Janek
"Post-Lithium Storage – Shaping the Future"
Adv. Energy Mater. 2024, 2402824. DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202402824
2) B. Esser, M. Hermann
"Buckling up zigzag nanobelts"
Nat. Chem. 2021, 13, 209–211. DOI:
10.1038/s41557-021-00642-0
1) S. Seiffert, B. Esser, J. Thiele
"Trendberichte Makromolekulare Chemie"
Nachrichten aus der Chemie 2015, 63, 336-346