Designing Robust Two-Electron Storage Extended Bipyridinium Anolytes for pH-Neutral Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries

Abstract

Bipyridinium derivatives represent the most extensively explored anolyte materials for pH-neutral aqueous organic redox flow batteries, and most derivatives feature two separate electron-transfer steps that cause a sharp decrease in cell voltage during discharge. Here, we propose a strategy to fulfill the concurrent two-electron electrochemical reaction by designing extended bipyridinium derivatives (exBPs) with a reduced energy difference between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of exBPs and the β-highest occupied molecular orbital of the singly reduced form. To demonstrate, a series of exBPs are synthesized and exhibit a single peak at redox potentials of -0.75 to -0.91 V (vs standard hydrogen electrode (SHE)), as opposed to the two peaks of most bipyridinium derivatives. Cyclic voltammetry along with diffusion-ordered spectroscopy and rotating disk electrode experiments confirm that this peak corresponds to a concurrent two-electron transfer. When examined in full-flowing cells, all exBPs demonstrate one charge/discharge plateau and two-electron storage. Continuous galvanostatic cell cycling reveals the side reactions leading to capacity fading, and we disclose the underlying mechanism by identifying the degradation products. By prohibiting the dimerization/β-elimination side reactions, we acquire a 0.5 M (1 M e-) exDMeBP/FcNCl cell with a high capacity of 22.35 Ah L-1and a capacity retention rate of 99.95% per cycle.