PNNL

Abstract

DIALKOXYBENZENES ARE CATHOLYTE MATERIALS OF CHOICE FOR NONAQUEOUS REDOX FLOW BATTERIES, AS THEY EXHIBIT HIGH OPEN-CIRCUIT POTENTIALS AND EXCELLENT ELECTROCHEMICAL REVERSIBILITY. HOWEVER, CHEMICAL STABILITY OF THESE MATERIALS IN THEIR OXIDIZED FORM NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. DISUBSTITUTION IN THE ARENE RING HAS BEEN USED TO SUPPRESS PARASITIC REACTIONS OF THEIR RADICAL CATIONS, BUT IT DOES NOT FULLY PREVENT RING-ADDITION REACTIONS. HERE, WE DEMONSTRATE THAT, BY INCORPOARTING BICYCLIC SUBSTITUTIONS AND ETHER CHAINS INTO DIALKOXYBENZENES, A NOVEL CATHOLYTE MOLECULE, BODMA, can be developed with BOTH SUPERIOR STABILITY AND HIGHER SOLUBILITY. A HYBRID FLOW CELL CONTAINING SUCH MATERIAL HAS BEEN OPERATED FOR 150 CHARGE-DISCHARGE CYCLES WITH THE MINIMAL LOSS OF CAPACITY.