Porous silicon membrane material, manufacture thereof and electronic devices incorporating the same

A redox flow battery, comprising:

• a single cell including an anode and cathode, wherein the anode and the cathode are positioned on opposite sides of the single cell;
• a single electrolyte reservoir connected to the single cell by at least one inlet tube and at least one outlet tube, such that an electrolyte is configured to flow from the single electrolyte reservoir through the at least one inlet tube into the single cell and then back to the single electrolyte reservoir through the at least one outlet tube;
• and
• a porous separator element positioned directly adjacent to an interior side of the cathode within the single cell;
• wherein the single cell does not include an ion-selective membrane between the anode and the cathode.

A redox flow battery, comprising:

• a single cell including an anode and cathode, wherein the anode and the cathode are positioned on opposite sides of the single cell;
• a single electrolyte reservoir connected to the single cell by at least one inlet tube and at least one outlet tube, such that an electrolyte is configured to flow from the single electrolyte reservoir through the at least one inlet tube into the single cell and then back to the single electrolyte reservoir through the at least one outlet tube;
• and
• a porous separator element positioned directly adjacent to an interior side of the cathode within the single cell;
• wherein a surface of a plurality of pores of the porous separator element is coated with at least one metal silicide;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of pores of the porous separator element has a depth to cross-section aspect ratio less or equal to 50:1.