A Study on The Effects of Three Different Carbon Catalysts on Performance of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

In this study, we carry out a study on how to improve performance of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) through promoting reaction rate of rate determining vanadium reaction ($[VO]^{2+}/[VO_2]^+$). In order to do that, three different carbons like Vulcan (XC-72), CMK3 and MSU-F-C are adopted as the catalysts, while their catalytic activity and reaction reversibility are evaluated using half-cell tests. Their topological images are also measured by TEM. For estimation of the VRFB performance, multiple charge-discharge curves of VRFBs including the catalysts are measured by single cell tests. As a result of that, MSU-F-C shows relatively excellent catalytic activity and reaction reversibility as well as large surface area compared to those of Vulcan (XC-72) and CMK3. Also, in terms of the performance of VRFBs including the catalysts, VRFB including MSU-F-C indicates (i) low charging/discharging overpotentials and low internal resistance, (ii) high charge/discharge capacities and (iii) high energy efficiency. These VRFB performance data are well agreed with results on catalytic activity and reaction reversibility. The reason that MSU-F-C induces superior VRFB performances is attributed to (i) its large surface area and (ii) its hydrophilic surface functional groups that mainly consist of hydroxyl bonds that are supposed to play active surface site role for facilitaing $[VO]^{2+}/[VO_2]^+$ redox reaction. Based on the above results, it is found that adoption of MSU-F-C as catalyst for VRFB results in improvement in VRFB performance by promoting the languid $[VO]^{2+}/[VO_2]^+$ redox reaction.

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