A pH‐Neutral, Metal‐Free Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery Employing an Ammonium Anthraquinone Anolyte. Issue 46 (12th September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hu, Bo; Luo, Jian; Hu, Maowei; Yuan, Bing; Liu, T. Leo
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 58:Issue 46(2019)
• Page Start: 16629
• Page End: 16636
• Publication Date: 2019-09-12
• Subjects: ammonium -- anthraquinone -- energy storage -- redox flow batteries; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201907934
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Redox‐active anthraquinone molecules represent promising anolyte materials in aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs). However, the chemical stability issue and corrosion nature of anthraquinone‐based anolytes in reported acidic and alkaline AORFBs constitute a roadblock for their practical applications in energy storage. A feasible strategy to overcome these issues is migrating to pH‐neutral conditions and employing soluble AQDS salts. Herein, we report the 9, 10‐anthraquinone‐2, 7‐disulfonic diammonium salt AQDS(NH4 )2, as an anolyte material for pH‐neutral AORFBs with solubility of 1.9 m in water, which is more than 3 times that of the corresponding sodium salt. Paired with an NH4 I catholyte, the resulting pH‐neutral AORFB with an energy density of 12.5 Wh L −1 displayed outstanding cycling stability over 300 cycles. Even at the pH‐neutral condition, the AQDS(NH4 )2 /NH4 I AORFB delivered an impressive energy efficiency of 70.6 % at 60 mA cm −2 and a high power density of 91.5 mW cm −2 at 100 % SOC. The present AQDS(NH4 )2 flow battery chemistry opens a new avenue to apply anthraquinone molecules in developing low‐cost and benign pH‐neutral flow batteries for scalable energy storage. Abstract : An anthraquinone salt, AQDS(NH4 )2, is designed as a new anolyte material for pH‐neutral aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) with a solubility of 1.9 m in water. An AORFB using AQDS(NH4 )2 delivered outstanding battery performance, including 100 % cycling stability over 300 cycles, an energy efficiency of 70.6 % at 60 mA cm 2, and a power density of 91.5 mW cm −2 at 100 % state of charge.