Toward symmetric organic aqueous flow batteries: triarylamine‐based bipolar molecules and their characterization via an extended Koutecký‐Levich analysis

Abstract

Symmetric organic flow batteries (SOFBs) can potentially address membrane crossover problems by employing bipolar redox-active organic molecules (BROMs). Herein, a triarylamine (TAA) skeleton was chosen as a posolyte moiety for a new class of bipolar molecules for pH-neutral aqueous FBs. Pyridinium and viologen derivatives were tethered to the posolyte moiety, and the new compounds were characterized. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that only viologen with a highly hydrophilic substituent, connected to the TAA moiety via a Zincke reaction, could be reversibly reduced. Varying the supporting electrolyte concentration on the selected derivative revealed water solubility as a challenge for further development. The selected derivative, MeO-TPA-Vi-DMAE, was subjected to hydrodynamic voltammetry, and a modified Koutecký-Levich analysis was developed to investigate the observed potential-dependent currents at the hydrodynamically dominated region, which are often seen with redox-active organic molecules. This model discarded a purely Ohmic effect, showing a useful Levich slope at a certain overpotential before the onset of a secondary reaction. TAA-based BROMs hold promise for pH-neutral aqueous SOFBs, and the results will guide the design of new derivatives. The three-term Koutecký-Levich relation here introduced will be useful not only to develop BROM-based flow batteries but will most likely appeal to a much broader audience.

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ORCID for Luis F. Arenas: orcid.org/0000-0002-9579-5082

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