LEAPS-MPS: CAS: What Makes Flow Batteries Fail? Establishing 'Stress Test' Protocols for Accelerated Characterization of New Chemistries

In this project, which is managed by the Chemistry Division and funded jointly with the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Professor Nicolas Holubowitch and his students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT) will investigate mechanisms leading to the degradation of redox flow batteries for grid-scale energy storage. The project seeks to broaden the profile of NMT Chemistry’s graduate program through a variety of initiatives meant to leverage their geographic location and access to diverse demographics. Broader impact initiatives include (1) a new electrochemistry and computational chemistry Special Topics graduate course filling in gaps in the current curriculum; (2) focused STEM-related activities and a crash course on post-graduate education/career opportunities for undergraduate students; and (3) organization of various events, social gatherings and research symposia that establish a sense of community within our graduate program and extend their reach to the community. Professor Holubowitch will establish a deep understanding of processes and environmental factors responsible for limiting the performance and lifetime of emerging sustainable redox flow battery chemistries. The project will subject state-of-the-art electrolytes from two next-gen RFB classes of active compounds, viologens and nitroxyl radicals, to systematically controlled conditions: pH, concentration, trace oxygen, and temperature fluctuations. Chemical and performance degradation will be correlated across in situ and ex situ studies, allowing the parameter space for RFB configurations and their environmental susceptibility to be mapped with high resolution. A public database, RFBrxiv.org, will be established for the community to report, compare, and discuss results. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.