Two-electron redox molecules for flow batteries
AssigneeUchicago Argonne, LLC
InventorsJingjing ZHANG, Lu ZHANG, Ilya A. SHKROB
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Abstract
The present invention provides a redox flow battery comprising a negative electrode (also referred to herein as an “anode”) immersed in a first liquid electrolyte (also referred to herein as a “negative electrolyte” or “anolyte”), a positive electrode (also referred to herein as a “cathode”) immersed in a second liquid electrolyte (also referred to herein as a “positive electrolyte” or “catholyte”), and a cation-permeable separator (e.g., a membrane or other cation-permeable material) partitioning the negative electrode/anolyte from the positive electrode/catholyte. The redox reactant of the catholyte comprises a compound of Formula (I) as described herein.
Claims20
A redox flow battery comprising:
- (a) an anode within an anolyte chamber;
- (b) a cathode within a catholyte chamber;
- (c) an anolyte comprising a solution of a first redox reactant and a first electrolyte salt;
- (b) a catholyte comprising solution of a second redox reactant and a second electrolyte salt;
- and
- (e) an ion-permeable separator membrane forming at least a portion of a common wall between the anolyte chamber and the catholyte chamber;
- wherein:
- the anolyte contacts the anode and the separator membrane when circulated through the anolyte chamber;
- the catholyte contacts the cathode and the separator membrane when circulated through the catholyte chamber;
- during charging and discharging the anolyte and catholyte are circulated over the anode and cathode, respectively, while cations from the anolyte and catholyte shuttle through the separator membrane to balance the charges that develop due to oxidation and reduction of the first and second redox reactants;
- the first redox reactant has a lower redox potential than the second acid-soluble redox reactant;
- and wherein the second redox reactant comprises a compound of Formula (I):
- wherein:
- each X is S or SO2;
- each R independently is selected from H, alkyl, substituted-alkyl, and a poly(alkylene glycol);
- R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from H, alkyl, substituted-alkyl, halogen, —OR′, —SR′, —SO2R′, —(C═O)OR′, —(C═O)NR′2, —CN, —(C═O)R′, —NR′2, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphonic acid group;
- each R′ independently is selected from H, alkyl, and substituted-alkyl;
- and
- each substituted-alkyl independently is an alkyl group substituted by one or more of F, Cl, Br, CN, CF3, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a carboxylic acid group, an aldehyde group, ketone group, an alkoxy group, a thiol group, an alkylthio group, a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, a tertiary amino group, a trialkylsilyl group, a trialkylsilyloxy group, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphonic acid group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.