Department of Chemistry
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036
Research Colloquium

Organic functional materials in Zinc-ion batteries and Organic-redox flow batteries
Name: Richa Gupta Date & Time: 24th August 2023, 4.00 PM
Guide: Prof. Kothandaraman R Venue: CB310, Seminar Hall
Abstract:
With the rapid addition of renewable energy harvesting installations around the world, there is a growing need to store the energy for later use.1 Among various energy storage systems, battery-based ones such as redox flow batteries (RFB) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered for stationary energy storage. However, LIBs penetration potential is questioned by considering potential safety, resource deficiency, and volatile lithium cost issues.2 Considering these, batteries out of Zn are looked into as alternative to LIBs due to the resources abundance (100 MMT Zn in India), high volumetric capacity of 5857 mAh L-1, and safety offered as it can work in aqueous electrolyte, which is a self-extinguisher in the event of fire. So far, Mn-based, V-based and Prussian- blue analogues (PBA) have been used as cathodes for Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), which suffers due to active material dissolution into the electrolyte, and strong interaction of Zn2+ and matrix causing poor Zn2+ diffusion.3 In this regard, we have explored organic materials especially based on quinones as cathode materials for aqueous ZIBs, which are economically viable, resource-abundant, structurally diverse, and facile towards Zn2+ ion transport.4
Besides, organic based RFBs are prominent due to the use of organic as active materials which benefit from their low cost, vast abundance, tailoring with solubility and potential to store energy.5 The redox potential of organic materials can be tuned to achieve desirable potentials and solubility, for example introducing electron-donating groups (~OH group) can move the redox potential to more negative while electron-withdrawing groups (~SO3H group) towards more positive. To achieve higher solubility in basic medium, for increasing capacity utilization, we have synthesized the derivatives of 1,5-dihydroxy anthraquinone and used as anolyte which coupled with potassium ferrocyanide as catholyte for aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFB) applications.
This research colloquium seminar will be focusing on quinone-based organic cathode materials for ZIBs to improve the cyclability and anthraquinone based anolyte for AORFB to achieve higher solubility with improved cell performances.
References:
(1) Armand, M.; Tarascon, J.-M. Building Better Batteries. Nature 2008, 451 (7179), 652–657.
(2) Zhou, L.; Lai, X.; Li, B.; Yao, Y.; Yuan, M.; Weng, J.; Zheng, Y. State Estimation Models of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Battery Management System: Status, Challenges, and Future Trends. Batteries 2023, 9 (2), 131.
(3) Chen, L.; An, Q.; Mai, L. Recent Advances and Prospects of Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc‐ion Batteries. Adv Mater Interfaces 2019, 6 (17), 1900387.
(4) Gupta, R.; Mirle, C.; Ramanujam, K. Dimerizing Lawsone into Bis-Lawsone to Counter Solubility and Attain Facile Zn2+ Ion Diffusion for Stable Capacity in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2023.
(5) Mahanta, V.; Gupta, R.; Ramanujam, K. Hydrobromide Salt of Tribromodopamine as a Positive Electroactive Species with a Three-Electron Redox Process for Redox Flow Battery Applications. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2022, 5 (12), 15166–15174.


Prof. Kothandaraman R Prof. Edamana Prasad Prof. Sanjay Kumar
(Signature of Guide) (Signature of Co-ordinator)
(Signature of HOD)