Molecular Engineering towards Low Cost, High Energy Density Aqueous Reodx Flow Batteries with High Stability

An increasing amount of renewable energy sources is being integrated into the electric grid in the US and globally. However, as intermittent wind and solar power begin to constitute more than a quarter of grid energy production, significant energy storage technologies must be employed to mitigate the imbalance between energy production and demand. To meet emission targets in an economically viable manner, low-cost, grid-scale energy storage solutions are essential.<br/>This talk will describe our efforts in developing a new generation of inexpensive redox-active species for redox flow batteries (RFBs) that offer extraordinary energy density and cycling stability. Our approach involves identifying the critical requirements for organic molecular redox couple and electrolyte design in RFBs and developing the simplest yet most effective synthetic routes to produce redox-active molecules with the desired performance.