Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jun Su, Jiaye Ye, Zhenyu Qin, Lidong Sun
Summary: In this study, an ultrathin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film was deposited onto Nafion substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering to form PTFE@Nafion composite membranes. The PTFE layer improved the dimensional stability and ion selectivity of the Nafion membranes, resulting in better self-discharge property and discharge capacity retention in the VRFB single cell.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hongli An, Run Zhang, Wenhao Li, Pan Li, Huidong Qian, Hui Yang
Summary: A chemically-modified Nafion membrane with aminopropyl isobutyl polyhedral oligosilses-quioxane (NH2-POSS) has been developed for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The modified membrane shows enhanced ion selectivity, improved dimensional stability, and reduced vanadium ion crossover, resulting in higher efficiency and longer cycle life for the battery.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hamid Amiri, Mohsen Khosravi, Mojtaba Ejeian, Amir Razmjou
Summary: The future of energy relies on batteries like VRFBs, with membranes playing a crucial role in controlling proton transport and preventing mixing in VRFBs. While Nafion membranes have made breakthroughs, their high cost and low selectivity make them unsuitable for VRFBs, suggesting sulfonated aromatic hydrocarbon polymers as a cost-effective alternative.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Amirreza Khataee, Hannes Nederstedt, Patric Jannasch, Rakel Wreland Lindstro
Summary: In this study, we synthesized two types of poly(p-terphenylene alkylene)s containing perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid and perfluorophenylsulfonic acid, respectively, through superacid-mediated polyhydroxyalkylations and made proton exchange membranes (PEMs) out of them. Compared to Nafion 212, the PEM with perfluorophenylsulfonic acid groups (PTPF-Phenyl-SA) showed higher ionic conductivity and eight times lower vanadium (IV) permeation rate. The VRFB based on PTPF-Phenyl-SA exhibited longer self-discharge duration, high average coulombic efficiency of 99.6%, and lower capacity fade of 0.24% per cycle compared to Nafion 212.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Nana Zhao, Alison Platt, Harry Riley, Ruoxi Qiao, Roberto Neagu, Zhiqing Shi
Summary: Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are the most promising and commercially exploited flow batteries for stationary electrical energy storage. However, there is a lack of ion exchange membranes (IEMs) with higher ion selectivity in the market. This review evaluates the requirements and various modification strategies for IEMs in VRFBs and provides recommendations for future exploration and optimization.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ping Xiong, Leyuan Zhang, Yuyue Chen, Sangshan Peng, Guihua Yu
Summary: The development of redox flow batteries (RFBs) is hindered by the lack of appropriate ion-conducting membranes, which need to have high chemical stability and good resistance to meet strict requirements. The design of membranes for RFBs is crucial, with the chemistry and microstructure associated with ion transport channels playing a key role.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Klaus-Dieter Kreuer, Andreas Muenchinger
Summary: This review highlights the importance of properly balanced ion-coordinating interactions over steric effects for selective ion transport in biological systems. It also emphasizes the relevance of steric effects for the selectivity of ionic transport through ion exchange membranes (IEMs). Reduced hydration leads to higher selectivity but lower transport rates, with near-perfect selectivity achieved through ion-conducting channels and sterically constrained transport in IEMs.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MATERIALS RESEARCH, VOL 51, 2021
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
A. Mukhopadhyay, Y. Yang, Z. Cheng, P. Luan, A. Natan, H. Zhu
Summary: This study developed a novel ion exchange membrane based on bacterial cellulose and hydrophobic copolymer, possessing high ionic selectivity and proton conductivity, along with high tensile strength and thermal stability. The vanadium redox flow battery assembled using this membrane demonstrated very high continuous cycles and energy efficiency.
MATERIALS TODAY NANO
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Tae Yang Son, Kwang Seop Im, Ha Neul Jung, Sang Yong Nam
Summary: Blended anion exchange membranes prepared in this study showed lower vanadium ion permeability and self-discharge rate compared to commercial proton exchange membranes, making them a promising candidate for vanadium redox flow batteries.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Seonwoo Hwang, Doohee Lee, Yecheol Rho, Kyung Seok Yoon, Duk Man Yu, Sang Jun Yoon, Sangwon Kim, Young Taik Hong, Soonyong So
Summary: Commercially available perfluorosulfonic acid membranes are used as cation exchange membranes in vanadium redox flow batteries, but high vanadium crossover and expensive production costs are limitations for further commercialization. Biaxial stretching of PFSA membranes is done to orient hydrophilic channels for increased area, with controlled stretching ratios affecting vanadium permeability and proton conductivity. The planarly oriented morphology by biaxial stretching offers an efficient way to utilize the expansive PFSA membranes, showing better performance in VRFB cells compared to thin membranes.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Matteo Gigli, Barbara Mecheri, Silvia Licoccia, Alessandra D'Epifanio
Summary: Crosslinked hydrocarbon-based cation exchange membranes have been developed for vanadium redox flow battery applications, with the membrane containing 9% of crosslinker showing the best performance. The crosslinking strategy allows for stable membranes in highly oxidizing environments, increasing the rigidity of the polymer backbone.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
Alexandros Pasadakis-Kavounis, Funda Arslan, Mads Radmer Almind, David Aili, Johan Hjelm
Summary: In this study, a series of polybenzimidazole-polyvinylchloride polymer blends decorated with different quaternary ammonium groups were investigated. The blend with 90% polybenzimidazole content and decorated with DABCO showed superior performance, including low polarization resistance, low swelling, and high stability in acidic media. This suggests that quaternary ammonium functionalized polybenzimidazole-polyvinylchloride systems are excellent candidates for modification or fabrication of thinner membranes to reduce membrane resistance without compromising vanadium blocking properties.
BATTERIES & SUPERCAPS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Nana Zhao, Harry Riley, Chaojie Song, Zhengming Jiang, Keh-Chyun Tsay, Roberto Neagu, Zhiqing Shi
Summary: This study identified five high-priority characteristics of membranes and evaluated eight commercially available ion exchange membranes, recommending perfluorosulfonic acid membranes and hydrocarbon anion exchange membranes as candidates for further in-situ testing, while one hydrocarbon cation exchange membrane was deemed not suitable for VRFB application.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Y. Lei, B. W. Zhang, B. F. Bai, X. Chen, T. S. Zhao
Summary: The study introduces a transient model of VRFB with a bipolar membrane, which improves the Poisson equation to describe the Donnan effect between the two layers for a full description of charge and ion transport. Numerical results demonstrate that bipolar membranes with thin anion exchange layers exhibit higher energy efficiency at large current densities.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Review
Electrochemistry
Baye Gueye Thiam, Sebastien Vaudreuil
Summary: The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is a promising electrochemical system, with a key component being the membrane that separates the positive and negative half-cells. High-performance, low-cost membranes are crucial for reducing overall system costs, with current research focused on developing membranes with high ionic conductivity, low permeability to vanadium ions, and good chemical and mechanical stability.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Peng, Asa L. Roy, Steve G. Greenbaum, Thomas A. Zawodzinski
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rose E. Ruther, Guang Yang, Frank M. Delnick, Zhijiang Tang, Michelle L. Lehmann, Tomonori Saito, Yujie Meng, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Jagjit Nanda
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2018)
Article
Polymer Science
Emmanuel Urandu Mapesa, Nelly M. Cantillo, Sara T. Hamilton, Matthew A. Harris, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Joshua Sangoro
Summary: Broadband dielectric spectroscopy, rheology, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to study molecular dynamics in a nanoparticle organic hybrid material (NOHMs) system with 20 wt % silica nanoparticles ionically bonded to a polyethylenimine canopy. The timescales characterizing segmental dynamics in the NOHM were found to be the same as those for the neat polymer canopy. Detailed analysis of carbon-spin lattice relaxation times provided mechanistic insights into localized and collective dynamics, in agreement with dielectric results. The NOHMs exhibited liquid-like characteristics but had higher viscosity due to contributions from tethered polymer chains and mesoscopic structuring.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lu Yu, Chien-Te Hsieh, David J. Keffer, Hao Chen, Gabriel A. Goenaga, Sheng Dai, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, David P. Harper
Summary: An efficient chemical-wet method was used to construct a three-dimensional carbon composite as an electrode material for supercapacitors. Adding carbon dots significantly improved the surface affinity of the electrode towards aqueous electrolytes, leading to increased capacitance and enhanced cycle stability of the supercapacitors.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tony G. Feric, Sara T. Hamilton, Nelly M. Cantillo, Adam E. Imel, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park
Summary: A new area of sustainable energy and environmental research focuses on developing novel electrolytes to enhance the solubility of target species and improve reaction performance, particularly in flow batteries and CO2 conversion. Liquid-like nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) show promise for electrolyte applications due to their enhanced conductivity, although high viscosity is a challenge. This study investigated the impact of different secondary fluids on the transport behaviors of NOHMs, with findings on how secondary fluids affect transport properties and the conformation of polymer in NOHMs.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Carla C. Fraenza, Ramez A. Elgammal, Mounesha N. Garaga, Sahana Bhattacharyya, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Steven G. Greenbaum
Summary: The dynamics of the organic components of the deep eutectic solvent glycerol are analyzed using various nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. The study reveals that rotational and translational diffusion of glycerol is faster than that of choline, and the addition of choline chloride disrupts the glycerol's hydrogen bonding network. The data also suggests a relatively slow hydroxyl H-exchange process between glycerol and choline.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Saheed Bukola, Ashlee Vise, Yuanshun Li, Gabriel Goenaga, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Jeffrey L. Blackburn, Bryan Pivovar
Summary: A post-functionalization strategy was reported to improve the selectivity and high proton conductivity of PBI-co membranes. The membranes exhibited high proton conductivity, electromigration crossover mitigation, and inhibition of diffusion-driven vanadium crossover. Single-cell vanadium flow battery testing confirmed state-of-the-art battery performance.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Adam E. Imel, Brian Barth, Douglas G. Hayes, Mark Dadmun, Thomas Zawodzinski
Summary: This study describes the structural studies of microemulsions prepared from water, toluene, butanol, and polysorbate 20. Scattering techniques and analysis methods were used to investigate their structural characteristics and their effects on electrochemical response. The findings provide essential information for the formulation of microemulsions as electrolytes for energy storage.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sara T. Hamilton, Tony G. Feric, Andrzej Gladysiak, Nelly M. Cantillo, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park
Summary: Nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) show promise for various energy and environmental technologies. This study investigated the complexation of zinc by a NOHMs material with an ionically tethered polyetheramine canopy (NOHM-I-HPE). The results revealed that the material can reversibly complex zinc in aqueous electrolyte, block electrode active sites, and facilitate the formation of smooth zinc deposits. The different packing behaviors of the material at the electrode-electrolyte interface were found to influence the zinc deposition mechanism.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. Landon Tyler, Robert L. Sacci, Michelle L. Lehmann, Guang Yang, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Jagjit Nanda
Summary: Sodium-exchanged Nafion membranes are effective in inhibiting polysulfide crossover in redox flow batteries, significantly improving capacity retention and Coulombic efficiencies. Commercial porous membranes show high polysulfide crossover, leading to lower performance after cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy highlights the characteristics of different membranes.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bryan R. Wygant, Brian A. Washington, Ciara N. Wright, Gabriel A. Goenaga, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Timothy N. Lambert
Summary: Nickel sulfoselenides (NiSSe) are promising electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis (BOE). Tuning the S/Se composition of Ni(3)S(2-x )Se( x ) NiSSe influences electrocatalytic performance, with a near unity S/Se ratio optimal for OER and Se-rich compositions optimal for ORR and BOE applications. By adding Se, the oxidative stability and electrocatalytic performance of NiSSe are improved. NiSSe electrocatalysts are more stable than commercial Pt/C electrocatalysts in Zn-air batteries.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sara T. Hamilton, Tony G. Feric, Sahana Bhattacharyya, Nelly M. Cantillo, Steven G. Greenbaum, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park
Summary: As renewable energy is integrated into the grid, storing intermittent renewable electricity has become a challenge. Flow batteries and CO2 conversion technologies show promise for renewable energy storage. This study investigates the response of liquid-like nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) to salt addition and its impact on solution viscosity and polymer structure.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinyou Ke, Joseph M. Prahl, J. Iwan D. Alexander, Jesse S. Wainright, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, Robert F. Savinell
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2018)
