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Title: The lightest organic radical cation for charge storage in redox flow batteries

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32102· OSTI ID:1340007
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [4];  [1]
  1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  2. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  4. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (United States)
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In advanced electrical grids of the future, electrochemically rechargeable fluids of high energy density will capture the power generated from intermittent sources like solar and wind. To meet this outstanding technological demand there is a need to understand the fundamental limits and interplay of electrochemical potential, stability, and solubility in low-weight redox-active molecules. By generating a combinatorial set of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene derivatives with different arrangements of substituents, we discovered a mini-malistic structure that combines exceptional long-term stability in its oxidized form and a record-breaking intrinsic capacity of 161 mAh/g. The nonaqueous redox flow battery has been demonstrated that uses this molecule as a catholyte material and operated stably for 100 charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, the observed stability trends are rationalized by mechanistic considerations of the reaction pathways.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1340007
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Vol. 6; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 46 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (6)

MetILs 3 : A Strategy for High Density Energy Storage Using Redox-Active Ionic Liquids journal July 2017
Annulated Dialkoxybenzenes as Catholyte Materials for Non-aqueous Redox Flow Batteries: Achieving High Chemical Stability through Bicyclic Substitution journal July 2017
Single‐Step Spray Printing of Symmetric All‐Organic Solid‐State Batteries Based on Porous Textile Dye Electrodes journal August 2019
Molecular engineering of organic electroactive materials for redox flow batteries journal January 2018
Critical Review—Experimental Diagnostics and Material Characterization Techniques Used on Redox Flow Batteries journal January 2018
Crossover in Membranes for Aqueous Soluble Organic Redox Flow Batteries journal January 2019

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Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
25 ENERGY STORAGE
redox active molecules
radical cation
flow battery
dimethoxybenzene
electrochemistry