Radical Charge Population and Energy: Critical Role in Redox Potential and Cycling Life of Piperidine Nitroxyl Radical Cathodes in Aqueous Zinc Hybrid Flow Batteries

Redox-active 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) derivatives have recently been investigated to expand the choice of catholyte for aqueous flow batteries (AFBs). However, the effects of substituent R in 4-position on redox potential and corresponding capacity fading mechanism are still unclear. Here, we conduct comparative studies of four R–TEMPO with R = −OH, −NH2, −COOH, and −NHCOCH3 in zinc hybrid AFBs. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that low-radical head charge population sum and radical energy, depending on R in 4-position, play a critical role in enhancing redox potential and cycling life of R–TEMPO. The electronic effect brought along by N-acetyl could redistribute the charge and lower systematic energy, making the ring-opening joint sturdy and therefore suppress the side reactions. Accordingly, the 4-NHCOCH3–TEMPO/Zn battery achieves a high capacity retention of >99.65%/day and an open-circuit voltage of 1.71 V. Our findings on the effects of substituent are greatly anticipated to boost the high-energy density, long-life, and eco-friendly TEMPO-based AFBs.