The implementation of renewable energies (solar, wind, etc) is driven the development of new energy storage systems that can mitigate the mismatch between the energy demand and production. In this regard, electrochemical energy storage devices stand out due to their efficiency, flexibility and modularity, specially the redox flow batteries (RFB). Their unique feature to decouple energy and power makes them versatile and adaptable to different applications. However, their wide implementation is limited by the high cost and issues associated to some components such as the vanadium-based electrolytes and Nafion ion-exchange membranes. In this talk, we will explain our new approach to overcome these limitations: the development of a membrane-free battery based on immiscible electrolytes with organic active species. The versatility of this concept allows to use different electrolytes combinations, here we propose a sustainable and safer aqueous-aqueous system. In this talk, we will present our last results regarding a totally aqueous membrane-free battery with organic/organometallic active species made of earth abundant elements, selectively separated by thermodynamics instead of a membrane or any physical barrier (Figure 1). Thanks to a new flow-cell design, it becomes the first aqueous membrane-free flow battery. The results show an improved coulombic efficiency, capacity utilization and stable long-term performance without crossover evidence. The fundamental aspects and the last advances in this innovative concept will be discussed.

Towards membrane-free flow batteries based on aqueous immiscible electrolytes and organic redox active species

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.