Long-Life Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries Enabled by Amidoxime-Functionalized Ion-Selective Polymer Membranes

by C. Ye, R. Tan, A. Wang, J. Chen, B. Comesaña Gándara, C. Breakwell, A. Alvarez-Fernandez, Z. Fan, J. Weng, C. G. Bezzu, S. Guldin, N. P. Brandon, A. R. Kucernak, K. E. Jelfs, N. B. McKeown, Q. Song
Year: 2022 DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202207580

Extra Information

Published in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.

Abstract

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) based on aqueous organic electrolytes are a promising technology for safe and cost-effective large-scale electrical energy storage. Membrane separators are a key component in RFBs, allowing fast conduction of charge-carrier ions but minimizing the cross-over of redox-active species. Here, we report the molecular engineering of amidoxime-functionalized Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (AO-PIMs) by tuning their polymer chain topology and pore architecture to optimize membrane ion transport functions. AO-PIM membranes are integrated with three emerging aqueous organic flow battery chemistries, and the synergetic integration of ion-selective membranes with molecular engineered organic molecules in neutral-pH electrolytes leads to significantly enhanced cycling stability.