High-Voltage Aqueous Redox Flow Battery Utilizing Metal Coordination Chemistry

Aqueous redox flow batteries have been investigated as a solution to the problem of grid-scale energy storage since the 1970s. However, high costs, poor kinetics, low voltages, and hydrogen generation have prevented wide scale adoption of redox flow batteries as an energy storage medium. A promising approach to solving these problems involves using complexing agents with metal ions. This method is attractive as it can permit tuning of redox potential, solubility, and performance. This presentation describes the performance of a new flow battery electrolyte utilizing low-cost coordination complexes that features a maximum power density over 0.5 W cm -2 and a discharge voltage over 1.6 V.