IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natene/v9y2024i4d10.1038_s41560-024-01474-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mild pH-decoupling aqueous flow battery with practical pH recovery

Author

Listed:
  • Dawei Xi

    (Harvard University)

  • Abdulrahman M. Alfaraidi

    (Harvard University)

  • Jinxu Gao

    (Harvard University)

  • Thomas Cochard

    (Harvard University)

  • Luana C. I. Faria

    (Harvard University)

  • Zheng Yang

    (Harvard University)

  • Thomas Y. George

    (Harvard University)

  • Taobo Wang

    (Harvard University)

  • Roy G. Gordon

    (Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Richard Y. Liu

    (Harvard University)

  • Michael J. Aziz

    (Harvard University)

Abstract

Establishing a pH difference between the two electrolytes (pH decoupling) of an aqueous redox flow battery (ARFB) enables cell voltages exceeding the 1.23 V thermodynamic water-splitting window, but acid–base crossover penalizes efficiency and lifetime. Here we employ mildly acidic and mildly alkaline electrolytes to mitigate crossover, achieving high round-trip energy efficiency with open circuit voltage >1.7 V. We implemented an acid–base regeneration system to periodically restore electrolytes to their initial pH values. The combined system exhibited capacity fade rate 85% and approximately 99% Coulombic efficiency during stable operation for over a week. Cost analysis shows that the tolerance of acid–base crossover could be increased if the pH-decoupling ARFB achieved a higher voltage output and lower resistance. This work demonstrates principles for improving lifespan, rate capability and energy efficiency in high-voltage pH-decoupling ARFBs and pH recovery concepts applicable for pH-decoupling systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Dawei Xi & Abdulrahman M. Alfaraidi & Jinxu Gao & Thomas Cochard & Luana C. I. Faria & Zheng Yang & Thomas Y. George & Taobo Wang & Roy G. Gordon & Richard Y. Liu & Michael J. Aziz, 2024. "Mild pH-decoupling aqueous flow battery with practical pH recovery," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 9(4), pages 479-490, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:9:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1038_s41560-024-01474-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01474-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01474-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41560-024-01474-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:9:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1038_s41560-024-01474-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.