Organic Materials in Reversible Redox Reaction Applications

Redox flow batteries with high energy density by using semi-solid or condensed ion-storing electrode materials that can take up or release ions during operation. The flowable electrode materials are transported between the electrodes to extract energy. This allows using higher concentration electrolytes with improved solubility compared to liquid electrolytes. The flowable electrode materials can be gels, liquids, or solid compounds like oxides, metals, or organic redox couples.

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High-performance sodium-ion batteries with metallic sodium anodes, novel cathodes, and electrolytes for applications like electric vehicles. The batteries use a sodium-based metallic anode that is electrodeposited during the first charge cycle. The cathodes are selected from materials that support reversible redox interaction with the disclosed electrolytes. The electrolytes are ammoniate-based with ratios of NH3:salt between 0.1 and 10. The electrolytes support smooth sodium deposition on copper current collectors. The matching electrolyte-current collector couples enable stable cycling of the metallic sodium anode. The cathodes, electrolytes, and current collectors are chosen to balance performance and cost-effectiveness.

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A cell pack design for electric vehicle batteries that eliminates imbalance between cells and improves pack cycling stability, especially at high current density and low temperatures. The key is using a specific non-aqueous electrolyte solution in the cells containing a redox shuttle compound with a reversible potential near the overcharge voltage. This allows reciprocal charging/discharging between the positive and negative electrodes to consume overcharge currents and prevent individual cell imbalance. The electrolyte also contains an additive mix of acetonitrile and linear carbonate solvents with optimized ratios. This provides good solubility and impregnation of the separator for the redox shuttle. The cell pack design involves configuring modules with matched capacity ratios to avoid misalignment during assembly.

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Graphene-enhanced hybrid anode material for lithium-ion batteries that provides high capacity, long cycle life, and improved stability compared to conventional lithium-ion anodes. The hybrid material contains graphene sheets bonded to fine anode active material particles, such as niobium-containing composite oxides. The graphene coating protects the anode particles from electrolyte decomposition and prevents short circuits. It also enhances electrical conductivity. The graphene content is 0.01-30% by weight.

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Organic lithium battery with high energy density and cycle life by using a concentrated salt electrolyte and specific polymer binders in the positive electrode. The battery has a positive electrode with a high concentration of redox organic compounds, like quinones, bound with specific polymers. The electrolyte contains a high concentration of lithium salt and low molecular weight polyethers. This combination improves battery performance by preventing solvent dissolution and diffusion of the organic compounds during cycling.

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Cathode active material for high energy density magnesium batteries that overcomes the limitations of vanadium oxide (V2O5) as a cathode material. The invention involves a composite of vanadium oxide and an inorganic sulfide compound with an amorphous structure. The amorphous composite provides improved magnesium ion diffusion and capacity compared to crystalline V2O5. It also addresses issues like electrolyte decomposition and low packing density of nanocrystalline V2O5. The amorphous composite can be prepared by mechanically milling vanadium oxide and the sulfide source.

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Electrochemical energy storage device with improved cycling stability using metal halide electrode materials in ionic liquid electrolytes. The device uses metal halides like MgCl2, MnCl2, or BiCl3 as positive electrode active materials, and metal halides like Mg, Sn, or Zn as negative electrode active materials. The metal halide electrodes dissolve less in the ionic liquid electrolyte compared to traditional aqueous electrolytes, preventing dendrite formation and cycling degradation. The ionic liquid solvent contains quaternary ammonium ions like DEMEBF4 to dissolve halides like LiCl. This allows efficient metal halide electrode reactions with minimal halide ion dissolution/precipitation during cycling.

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A separator for redox flow batteries that uses a specific type of polyurethane polymer to improve battery performance. The separator is made of a polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin that allows selective transport of battery ions. This polyurethane separator is swellable in organic solvents and can be impregnated with salts like lithium. The polyurethane separator provides better ion selectivity, conductivity, and stability compared to conventional separators like ion exchange membranes.

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Redox flow battery with high energy efficiency and charge/discharge efficiency by using organic electrolytes with high solubility in non-aqueous solvents. The battery has separate anode and cathode cells with ion exchange membrane between them. The electrolytes in each cell contain a non-aqueous solvent, supporting electrolyte, and metal-ligand coordination compound. At least one of the metal-ligand compounds has an aliphatic ligand for better solubility in the non-aqueous solvent.

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Redox flow battery with high energy density and charge/discharge efficiency using non-aqueous electrolytes containing aromatic ligands with electron withdrawing groups. The battery has separate positive and negative electrolytes with supporting electrolytes, solvents, and metal-ligand coordination compounds. The aromatic ligands with electron withdrawing groups in at least one metal-ligand coordination compound improve charge/discharge efficiency and energy density compared to conventional redox flow batteries using aqueous electrolytes.

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Redox flow battery with high energy density and good charge/discharge efficiency. It uses non-aqueous electrolytes containing different metal-ligand coordination compounds in the positive and negative electrolytes. The metal-ligand compounds are selected from iron and vanadium complexes. This allows higher energy density compared to aqueous electrolytes since the driving voltage can be higher. The different metal complexes prevent precipitation issues during cycling that degrade capacity and life.

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Mediated redox flow batteries that leverage high-capacity polyoxometalate (POM) materials as charge-storage compounds instead of conventional solid electrodes. The battery uses redox mediators to shuttle electrons between the POMs and the electrodes. The mediators have redox potentials close to the POMs to minimize voltage losses. This allows high-capacity POMs with sloping potential profiles to be used while avoiding sluggish electron transfer. The POMs are stored in external tanks while the mediators circulate through the cell chambers. This enables independent scaling of energy density and power capability compared to solid-state batteries.

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High energy density flow battery with semi-solid or dense ionic liquids in the electrodes instead of traditional solid electrode materials. The semi-solid or dense liquids contain redox active compounds suspended in a liquid electrolyte. This allows higher energy density compared to solid electrodes due to increased loading of active material. The semi-solid/dense liquids can be pumped between the electrodes for recharge/discharge. This enables flowable batteries with higher energy densities than conventional solid electrode batteries.

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Fuel cell system, fuel cell vehicle, and operating method for fuel cell systems that prevents electrolyte membrane oxidation and improves durability. The system supplies an antioxidant as a vapor to the fuel cell electrodes while operating. This continuously inactivates active oxygen species like hydroxy radicals generated during fuel cell operation. The antioxidant bubblers prevent oxidation of the polymer electrolyte membrane compared to just adding antioxidants to the electrolyte.

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Electrode active material for lithium-ion batteries that has high energy density and is resistant to dissolution in the electrolyte. The active material contains an organic compound with multiple redox sites and a linker site between them. The redox sites are quinone groups that independently contribute to redox reactions. The linker site connects the quinone sites but does not participate in redox. This compound structure allows high energy density by maximizing the number of redox sites while inhibiting dissolution by preventing solvation of the entire molecule.

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Redox shuttle compounds for lithium-ion batteries that provide intrinsic overcharge protection capability. The redox shuttle compounds are dissolved in the non-aqueous electrolyte of the battery and have reversible oxidation potentials higher than the cathode potential. During overcharge, the shuttle molecules absorb excess lithium ions and prevent the cathode from overcharging. This avoids dangerous cell ruptures. The shuttles are aromatic compounds with fused heterocyclic rings. They have good solubility in carbonate-based electrolytes.

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Lead sulfate-graphene composite electrode material for lead-acid batteries that improves performance and cycle life compared to conventional lead-acid batteries. The composite material is made by loading lead sulfate onto graphene sheets. This composite is used as a cathode component in lead-acid batteries. The graphene enhances the electrochemical properties of lead sulfate, resulting in higher discharge capacity, rate capability, and cycle life compared to pure lead sulfate cathodes.

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Electrode active material for lithium-ion batteries and electrical storage devices that provides improved energy density and cycling stability. The active material is a ketonic compound with a ring structure containing at least 3 ketone groups. The compound forms stable bonds with lithium ions during charging and discharging, preventing dissociation and degradation. The ring structure allows charge delocalization to stabilize the ketone groups. The ketonic compounds can be used as electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, and redox flow batteries.

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Power system for a vehicle that optimizes the net energy balance involved in fabricating and operating this power system. The system includes a supercapacitor-like electronic battery, a battery charger operatively connected to said supercapacitor-like electronic battery, a heater operatively connected to said supercapacitor-like electronic battery, a charging apparatus operatively connected to said battery charger, a motor operatively connected to the vehicle and said supercapacitor-like electronic battery, and a feedback loop controller operatively connected to said heater, said supercapacitor-like electronic battery and said motor.

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Electrolyte composition for lithium secondary batteries that improves overcharge safety and prevents performance degradation when batteries are overcharged. The electrolyte contains two compounds, one with an oxidation voltage higher than the negative electrode's operating voltage, and the other with a lower oxidation voltage. This allows controlled oxidation of the first compound at higher voltages to consume overcharge currents and prevent battery burning and blast. The second compound prevents performance degradation at high charge rates. Using the two compounds together provides better overcharge safety compared to just using the first compound separately.

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