The use of quinone/hydroquinone couples in aqueous redox flow batteries is a promising pathway toward cost-effective stationary electrical energy storage [1]-[4]. A major remaining challenge is long-term molecule stability. We previously reported a record capacity-retention rate in a flow battery utilizing substituted viologens and ferrocenes [5]; however, the open-circuit voltage was only about 0.7 V. Here we report a novel quinone-based aqueous redox flow battery with an open circuit voltage of 1.0 V and a capacity-retention rate that sets new records for cycling in the absence of rebalancing procedures. At the time this abstract is being submitted, capacity fade extrapolates to roughly 2%/year while cycling for days at approximately 110 cycles/day.

[1] B. Huskinson, M.P. Marshak, C. Suh, S. Er, M.R. Gerhardt, C.J. Galvin, X. Chen, A. Aspuru-Guzik, R.G. Gordon and M.J. Aziz, “A metal-free organic-inorganic aqueous flow battery”, Nature 505, 195 (2014).

[2] K. Lin, Q. Chen, M.R. Gerhardt, L. Tong, S.B. Kim, L. Eisenach, A.W. Valle, D. Hardee, R.G. Gordon, M.J. Aziz and M.P. Marshak, "Alkaline Quinone Flow Battery", Science 349, 1529 (2015).

[3] L. Hoober-Burkhardt, S. Krishnamoorthy, B. Yang, A. Murali, A. Nirmalchandar, G.K. Surya Prakash, and S.R. Narayanan, "A New Michael-Reaction-Resistant Benzoquinone for Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries", Journal of the Electrochemical Society 164, A600 (2017).

[4] Z. Yang, L. Tong, D.P. Tabor, E.S. Beh, M.-A. Goulet, D. De Porcellinis, A. Aspuru-Guzik, R.G. Gordon, and M.J. Aziz, "Alkaline benzoquinone aqueous flow battery for large-scale storage of electrical energy” Advanced Energy Materials 7, in press (2017).

[5] E.S. Beh, D. De Porcellinis, R.L. Gracia, K.T. Xia, R.G. Gordon, and M.J. Aziz, "A Neutral pH Aqueous Organic–Organometallic Redox Flow Battery with Extremely High Capacity Retention", ACS Energy Letters 2, 639 (2017).