Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon for energy storage in vanadium redox flow batteries

Journal Article · Mon Mar 22 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Power Sources

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2010.01.015· OSTI ID:974938

Shao, Yuyan; Wang, Xiqing; Engelhard, Mark H; Wang, Chong M; Dai, Sheng; Liu, Jun; Yang, Zhenguo; Lin, Yuehe

We demonstrate a novel electrode material-nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC)-for vanadium redox flow batteries. Mesoporous carbon (MC) is prepared using a soft-template method and doped with nitrogen by heat-treating MC in NH₃. NMC is characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The redox reaction of [VO]²⁺/[VO₂]⁺ is characterized with cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic kinetics of the redox couple [VO]²⁺/[VO₂]⁺ is significantly enhanced on NMC electrode compared with MC and graphite electrodes. The reversibility of the redox couple [VO]²⁺/[VO₂]⁺ is greatly improved on NMC (0.61 for NMC vs. 0.34 for graphite). Nitrogen doping facilitates the electron transfer on the electrode/electrolyte interface for both oxidation and reduction processes. NMC is a promising electrode material for redox flow batteries.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 974938
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-70343; JPSODZ; TRN: US201007%%897
• Journal Information: Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 195, Issue 13; ISSN 0378-7753
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
CARBON
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON TRANSFER
ENERGY STORAGE
GRAPHITE
IMPEDANCE
KINETICS
NITROGEN
OXIDATION
REDOX REACTIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
VANADIUM
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon for energy storage in vanadium redox flow batteries