Researchers Li Xianfeng and Zhang Huamin of the Energy Storage Technology Research Department of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences designed and prepared a three-dimensional composite electrode material based on titanium nitride nanorod arrays and applied it to zinc-bromine-based flow batteries Its power density.
Bromine (Br2 / Br-) flow batteries, especially zinc-bromine flow batteries, have the advantages of high energy density and low electrolyte cost, and have become one of the research hotspots in the field of electrochemical energy storage. However, the reactivity of the Br2 / Br-electric pair is low, and the polarization of the electrode is large, resulting in a low power density of the battery and a relatively high cost of the stack.
To this end, the research team designed and prepared a class of self-supporting three-dimensional layered composite electrode materials based on titanium nitride nanorod arrays. In this design, the carbon felt electrode is used as the base material of the composite electrode, and its three-dimensional conductive network ensures the electrode's high electronic conductivity. The high catalytic activity of titanium nitride nanorod arrays on Br2 / Br-electric pairs reduces the electrochemical polarization of the electrodes. In addition, the three-dimensional layered and rod-shaped array structure helps the electrolyte penetrate into the electrode, improves the ion transmission rate of the electrode, thereby reducing the mass transfer polarization and greatly improving the working current density of the zinc-bromine flow battery. This work provides a new idea for the design and preparation of electrode materials for high power density bromine-based flow batteries.
The above research work was supported by CAS STS project, CAS-DOE cooperation project, Dalian Science and Technology Innovation Project and DICP Fund. Related research results were published in "Advanced Materials" (Advanced Materials) recently.