Issue 10, 2018

Rechargeable organic–air redox flow batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable organic–air flow battery based on aqueous electrolytes is proposed and tests are conducted in a divided cell with a three-electrode configuration. Quinoxaline is used as the negative redox couple due to its low electrode potential of c.a. −0.9 V vs. Hg|HgO in aqueous electrolytes. High-surface-area nickel mesh and manganese-dioxide electrodes were employed for oxygen evolution and reduction, respectively, together with a low-cost hydroxide doped polybenzimidazole (m-PBI) separator (c.a. 20 μm). In typical alkaline electrolytes (2 M NaOH), the open-circuit voltage of the flow battery was c.a. 0.95 V, which is comparable to existing organic-based batteries. The average charge and discharge cell voltage ranges at 5–10 mA cm−2 were 1.7–1.95 V and 0.4–0.7 V, respectively. Despite using low-cost materials, average coulombic and energy efficiencies of the batteries were c.a. 81 and 25%, respectively, at 7.5 mA cm−2 over 20 cycles.

Graphical abstract: Rechargeable organic–air redox flow batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 May 2018
Accepted
05 Jul 2018
First published
03 Aug 2018

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2018,2, 2252-2259

Rechargeable organic–air redox flow batteries

P. Leung, D. Aili, Q. Xu, A. Rodchanarowan and A. A. Shah, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2018, 2, 2252 DOI: 10.1039/C8SE00205C

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