article · ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
A method has been developed to create surface electroactive sites on tungstated zirconia catalysts for vanadium redox flow batteries. By using tungstate-immobilised UiO-66 precursors in a double-solvent impregnation process with mild calcination, a catalyst designated as WZ-22-650 was produced with a moderate tungsten content of twenty-two percent. This material features a mesoporous structure, high surface area, and strong tungsten-oxygen-zirconium chemical bonds that anchor tungsten oxide to stabilised tetragonal zirconia. These features enhance catalytic activity toward vanadium redox couples. In battery charge and discharge tests, the catalyst achieved voltage and energy efficiencies of 87.76 percent and 83.94 percent at eighty milliamperes per square centimetre, outperforming heat-treated graphite felt. The material also maintained strong efficiency at higher current densities and exhibited excellent cyclability.
Vanadium redox flow batteries are critical systems for large-scale energy storage, but slow electrode reactions can limit their performance. Introducing active and durable metal-oxide catalysts reduces voltage and energy losses during operation. Improving the round-trip efficiency of these batteries makes them more effective for stabilising electrical grids and storing power from intermittent renewable energy sources.
This catalyst could be used by flow battery manufacturers and grid-scale energy storage developers looking to boost battery efficiency. The research represents an applied laboratory stage, with effectiveness validated in single-cell charge-discharge testing against standard graphite felt. Real-world commercialisation will require evaluating long-term catalyst stability over extended operational cycles and establishing scalable production processes for the precursor-derived material.
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Surface electroactive sites for tungstate zirconia (WZ) were created by utilizing tungstate-immobilized UiO-66 as precursors via a double-solvent impregnation method under a mild calcination temperature. The WZ-22-650 catalyst, containing a moderate W content (22%), demonstrated a high density of surface electroactive sites. Proper heat treatment facilitated the binding of oligomeric tungsten clusters to stabilized tetragonal ZrO2, resulting in improved catalytic performance toward the VO2+/VO2+ redox couples compared to other tested samples. The substantial surface area, mesoporous structure, and establishment of new W–O–Zr bonds affirm the firm anchoring of WOx to ZrO2. This robust attachment enhances surface electroactive sites, elevating the electrochemical performance of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Charge–discharge tests further demonstrate that the superior voltage efficiency (VE) and energy efficiency (EE) for VRFBs using the WZ-22-650 catalyst are 87.76 and 83.94% at 80 mA cm–2, which are 13.42% VE and 10.88% EE better than heat-treated graphite felt, respectively. Even at a higher current density of 160 mA cm–2, VRFBs utilizing the WZ-22-650 catalyst maintained considerable efficiency, recording VE and EE values of 76.76 and 74.86%, respectively. This facile synthesis method resulted in WZ catalysts displaying superior catalytic activity and excellent cyclability, offering a promising avenue for the development of metal-oxide-based catalysts.
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DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14633
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