In conventional lithium-ion batteries, active materials are coated on current collector with binder and carbon additives to form conducting electrode sheets. In 2006, we proposed redox targeting of poorly conducting lithium-ion battery materials such as LiFePO<sub>4</sub> to eliminate the need for carbon additives. In the presence of redox shuttle molecules, an active electrode material can be reversibly delithiated/lithiated via redox targeting reactions without being attached to the current collector. The transport of electrons between the material and the current collector is mediated by the diffusion of redox molecules dissolved in the electrolyte. The application of redox targeting reactions to both anode and cathode intuitively leads to a novel energy storage device — Redox Flow Lithium Battery (RFLB). In RFLB, the active materials are stored statically in two separate tanks and power is generated in the cell stack by the redox reactions of redox mediators, disruptively changing the operation mode of the conventional batteries. The transport of electrons between the active materials and the current collector is mediated by the diffusion of redox shuttle molecules in the electrolyte. In this talk, the latest progress on the development of RFLB half-cell, single full cell and cell stack will be reported. This involves the extensive investigations of various cathodic and anodic Li+ storage materials and the matched redox mediators, as well as Li+-conducting membranes. In addition, the application of redox targeting concept to other battery chemistries, such as Li-S and Li-O<sub>2</sub> batteries will also be discussed. RFLB is poised to have significant advantages over other types of electrochemical energy storage devices in terms of energy density, safety, and operation flexibility for large scale stationary and automotive energy storage.

Redox flow lithium battery

249th National Meeting (2015)

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