The mechanistic characterization of RAPs and RACs requires a spectrum of powerful electrochemical techniques, ranging from bulk methods to single-particle analysis. I will describe how the application of nano-resolved electrochemical microscopy techniques and Raman spectroscopy has helped us understand the mechanisms of individual electrochemical entities.
These experiments provide us with unprecedented versatility to identify kinetic bottlenecks, such as charge trapping, and to determine the maximum current densities attainable in flow devices. Altogether, the combination of novel structural motifs, the identification of structure-reactivity relationships, and the use of advanced electrochemical techniques, results in new directions to make better polymers for a new concept in redox flow batteries.
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*This work was supported as part of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences.