Reversible redox chemistry in azobenzene-based organic molecules for high-capacity and long-life nonaqueous redox flow batteries

Leyuan Zhang, Yumin Qian, Ruozhu Feng, Yu Ding, Xihong Zu, Changkun Zhang, Xuelin Guo, Wei Wang and Guihua Yu ()
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Leyuan Zhang: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Yumin Qian: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Ruozhu Feng: Energy & Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Yu Ding: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Xihong Zu: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Changkun Zhang: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Xuelin Guo: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Wei Wang: Energy & Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Guihua Yu: Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Redox-active organic molecules have drawn extensive interests in redox flow batteries (RFBs) as promising active materials, but employing them in nonaqueous systems is far limited in terms of useable capacity and cycling stability. Here we introduce azobenzene-based organic compounds as new active materials to realize high-performance nonaqueous RFBs with long cycling life and high capacity. It is capable to achieve a stable long cycling with a low capacity decay of 0.014% per cycle and 0.16% per day over 1000 cycles. The stable cycling under a high concentration of 1 M is also realized, delivering a high reversible capacity of ~46 Ah L−1. The unique lithium-coupled redox chemistry accompanied with a voltage increase is observed and revealed by experimental characterization and theoretical simulation. With the reversible redox activity of azo group in π-conjugated structures, azobenzene-based molecules represent a class of promising redox-active organics for potential grid-scale energy storage systems.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17662-y

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