Electrode fouling leading to an inactive passivation layer is a determinantal process to the performance in flowable electrochemical systems such as redox flow batteries. In turn, developing strategies of integrating controlled cleaning of passivation layers from the electrode surface is critical to long-term cycling. Here, the focus is on flowable electrolytes based on redox active colloids (RACs). In this study, poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microparticles crosslinked with bis(5-amino-l,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) disulfide moieties are synthesized as RACs to impart stimuli-responsive functionality, which facilitate controlled cleaning via electrochemical voltage or ultraviolet light. By applying external stimuli to the particles, the surface crosslinks can be temporarily broken. In turn, responsive-crosslinked particles can be selectively released from substrate surfaces under fluid flow only after exposure to stimuli. By exposure to either ultraviolet or electrochemical stimulus, nearly four-fold higher removal of particles from flat substrates was demonstrated versus convection alone.

Redox active particles with stimuli responsive disulfide crosslinks for controlled electrode cleaning

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ACS Fall 2022

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