1. Hierarchical Carbon Micro/Nanonetwork with Superior Electrocatalysis for High-Rate and Endurable Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
- Author
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Jian-Kai Xu, Chun-Jiao Zhou, Xiongwei Wu, Ya-Xia Yin, Yu-Guo Guo, Wei Ling, Xian-Xiang Zeng, Qiang Ma, Wang Hongrui, and Qi Deng
- Subjects
Materials science ,General Chemical Engineering ,Heteroatom ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Vanadium ,chemistry.chemical_element ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,Electrocatalyst ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) ,Redox ,Energy storage ,carbon electrodes ,General Materials Science ,Graphite ,hierarchical carbon micro/nanonetworks ,Communication ,General Engineering ,durable cycle life ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Communications ,0104 chemical sciences ,high‐rate performance ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Electrode ,0210 nano-technology ,Carbon ,vanadium redox flow batteries - Abstract
Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are receiving increasing interest in energy storage fields because of their safety and versatility. However, the electrocatalytic activity of the electrode is a pivotal factor that still restricts the power and cycling capabilities of VRFBs. Here, a hierarchical carbon micro/nanonetwork (HCN) electrode codoped with nitrogen and phosphorus is prepared for application in VRFBs by cross‐linking polymerization of aniline and physic acid, and subsequent pyrolysis on graphite felt. Due to the hierarchical electron pathways and abundant heteroatom active sites, the HCN exhibits superior electrocatalysis toward the vanadium redox couples and imparts the VRFBs with an outstanding energy efficiency and extraordinary stability after 2000 cycles at 250 mA cm−2 and a discharge capacity of 10.5 mA h mL−1 at an extra‐large current density of 400 mA cm−2. Such a micro/nanostructure design will force the advancement of durable and high‐power VRFBs and other electrochemical energy storage devices.
- Published
- 2018