Hybrid redox flow cells with enhanced electrochemical performance via binderless and electrophoretically deposited nitrogen-doped graphene on carbon paper electrodes.
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Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Hybrid redox flow cells (HRFC) are key enablers for the development of reliable large-scale energy storage systems; however, their high cost, limited cycle performance, and incompatibilities associated with the commonly used carbon-based electrodes undermine HRFC's commercial viability. While this is often linked to lack of suitable electrocatalytic materials capable of coping with HRFC electrode processes, the combinatory use of nanocarbon additives and carbon paper electrodes holds new promise. Here, by coupling electrophoretically deposited nitrogen-doped graphene (N-G) with carbon electrodes, their surprisingly beneficial effects on three types of HRFCs, namely, hydrogen/vanadium (RHVFC), hydrogen/manganese (RHMnFC), and polysulfide/air (S-Air), are revealed. RHVFCs offer efficiencies over 70% at a current density of 150 mA cm-2 and an energy density of 45 Wh L-1 at 50 mA cm-2, while RHMnFCs achieve a 30% increase in energy efficiency (at 100 mA cm-2). The S-Air cell records an exchange current density of 4.4 × 10-2 mA cm-2, a 3-fold improvement of kinetics compared to the bare carbon paper electrode. We also present cost of storage at system level compared to the standard all-vanadium redox flow batteries. These figures-of-merit can incentivize the design, optimization, and adoption of high-performance HRFCs for successful grid-scale or renewable energy storage market penetration.
Date Issued
2020-12-02
Date Acceptance
2020-10-27
Citation
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2020, 12 (48), pp.53869-53878
ISSN
1944-8244
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
53869
End Page
53878
Journal / Book Title
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume
12
Issue
48
Copyright Statement
© 2020 American Chemical Society. This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY)
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the author and source are cited.
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the author and source are cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Innovate UK
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33205967
Grant Number
DJR01350
133462
Subjects
grid-scale energy storage
hybrid redox flow cell
hydrogen
nitrogen-doped carbon
vanadium
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2020-11-18