Organic Electrolytes for pH‐Neutral Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries.

Due to decoupled energy and power, the aqueous organic redox flow battery (AORFB) represents a promising energy storage technology that stores energy in redox‐active organic compounds dissolved in aqueous electrolytes. The organic compounds are composed of earth‐abundant elements and are therefore potentially cost‐effective. Their structures are diverse and highly tunable, rendering it possible to regulate the redox potential, water solubility, and cycling lifespan. Therefore, the adoption of redox‐active organics greatly expands the space for enabling exceeding performance merits compared to their inorganic counterparts. Herein, this work reviews the molecular design and engineering scheme of organic electrolytes, focusing exclusively on pH‐neutral AORFB that uses non‐corrosive and nonflammable pH‐neutral aqueous electrolytes with inexpensive inorganic salts as supporting electrolytes and features high safety, low corrosivity, low cost, and environmental benignity. Some comments on the present challenges and prospects of this ascendant domain are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]