Effects of Microwave Treatment on Carbon Electrode for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

Abstract The vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) is an attractive energy storage technology due to its great advantages such as high energy efficiency and long life cycle. A carbon electrode has been commonly used as the electrode material for the VRB system. In this study, the effects of microwave treatment on the carbon electrode for the VRB are investigated under different microwave powers (0, 500, and 650 W). The microwave‐treated carbon electrode is about twice as large as the pristine carbon electrode in specific surface area, showing about 2.72, 4.46, and 4.63 m 2 g −1 at 0, 500, and 650 W, respectively. The oxygen‐containing functional groups such as CO, CO, and OCO, which can promote the redox reactions in the VRB system, are also increased by the microwave treatment. When the microwave‐treated carbon electrode is applied as the positive electrode for the VRB system, the coulomb, voltage, and energy efficiencies are enhanced. Thus, the microwave treatment can be a simple and effective method to prepare the carbon electrode for the VRB system.