Wenjing Lu’s research while affiliated with Chinese Academy of Sciences and other places

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Publications (41)


Electrolytes for Bromine-based Flow Batteries: Challenges, Strategies, and Prospects
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June 2024

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10 Reads

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5 Citations

Energy Storage Materials

Luyin Tang

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Wenjing Lu

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Xianfeng Li

Reversible Solid Bromine Complexation into Ti3C2Tx MXene Carriers: A Highly Active Electrode for Bromine-based Flow Battery with Ultralow Self-discharge
  • Article
  • Full-text available

January 2024

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58 Reads

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7 Citations

Energy & Environmental Science

Bromine-based flow batteries (Br-FBs) are appealing for stationary energy storage because of their high energy density and low cost. However, the wider application of Br-FBs is hindered by the sluggish...

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Illustration of using vertically aligned MoS2 nanosheet arrays‐based electrodes to construct a BCA‐free ZBFB with high power density and long cycle life.
The fabrication and structure characterizations of MoS2‐based electrodes. a) Schematic illustration for the fabrication of THCF and HCF. b) The XRD patterns of PCF, HCF, and THCF. c–e) SEM images of PCF, THCF, and HCF. f–i) HRTEM images of f, h) MoS2‐1T/2H on THCF and g, i) MoS2‐2H on HCF. j) The building (MoS6) motifs of MoS2‐2H and MoS2‐1T and the corresponding 4d orbital splitting of Mo⁴⁺.
Bromine‐adsorption capacity characterizations of different electrodes. a) Digital photographs and b) UV–vis spectra of 10 mm Br2 solution before and after soaking PCF, HCF, and THCF for 15 min. c) Iring–t curves of different materials. d) Raman spectra of MoS2‐1T/2H and e) MoS2‐2H before and after absorbing bromine (denoted as MoS2‐1T/2H‐Br2 and MoS2‐2H‐Br2, respectively). f) The ΔEs of bromine molecules adsorbed on C, MoS2‐2H and MoS2‐1T.
Bromine adsorption mechanism of MoS2‐1T. a) High‐resolution Mo 3d XPS spectra of THCF and THCF‐Br2. b) High‐resolution S 2p XPS spectra of THCF and THCF‐Br2. c) Adsorption configurations of Br2 on the basal plane [001], Mo‐edges ([100]_Mo), and S‐edges ([100]_S) of MoS2 from MD simulations. Distributions of d) Br─Br distance, e) Br─Mo distance, and f) Br─S distance from AIMD simulations.
Electrochemical performance and bromine capturing mechanisms of PCF, HCF, and THCF. a) CV curves at the scan rate of 10 mV s⁻¹. b) LSV curves at the scan rate of 1 mV s⁻¹. c) Nyquist plots. In situ Raman spectra of the different cathodes of ZBFBs during the d) charge and e) discharge processes at different times. f) Illustrative diagram of the adsorption effect of THCF to catalyze Br2/Br⁻ redox reactions and entrap bromine.

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In Situ Vertically Aligned MoS2 Arrays Electrodes for Complexing Agent‐Free Bromine‐Based Flow Batteries with High Power Density and Long Lifespan

November 2023

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91 Reads

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12 Citations

Luyin Tang

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Bromine‐based flow batteries (Br‐FBs) are highly competitive for stationary energy storage due to their high energy density and cost‐effectiveness. However, adding bromine complexing agents (BCAs) to electrolytes slows down Br2/Br⁻ reaction kinetics, causing higher polarization and lower power density of Br‐FBs. Herein, in situ vertically aligned MoS2 nanosheet arrays on traditional carbon felt substrates as electrodes to construct high power–density BCA‐free Br‐FBs are proposed. MoS2 arrays exhibit strong adsorption capacity to bromine, which helps the electrodes capture and retain bromine species. Even without BCAs, the battery self‐discharge caused by bromine diffusion is also inhibited. Moreover, the rate‐determining step of Br2/Br⁻ reactions is boosted and the vertically aligned array structure provides sufficient sites, motivating Br2/Br⁻ reaction kinetics and decreasing the battery polarization. The capacity retention rate of the BCA‐free Br‐FB based on MoS2 arrays‐based electrodes reaches 46.34% after the 24‐h standing test at 80 mA cm⁻², meeting the requirements of practical applications. Most importantly, this BCA‐free Br‐FB exhibits a high Coulombic efficiency of 97.00% and an ultralong cycle life of 1000 cycles at a high current density of 200 mA cm⁻². This work provides an available approach to developing advanced electrode materials for high power–density and long‐lifespan Br‐FBs.




Thin Turing membrane with high ion conductivity for high power density alkaline zinc‐iron flow battery. a) Schematic illustration of the high ion conductivity for K⁺ and OH⁻ of Co²⁺‐coordinated thin Turing membranes (CoPBI). b) Illustration of an alkaline zinc–iron flow battery (AZIFB). c) The surface morphology and cross‐section morphology of the thin Turing membrane, when OPBI coordinated with Co²⁺ for 7 min (Co‐PBI#7). The surface morphology was characterized by an ultradeep surface morphology determination microscope. The cross‐section was characterized by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). d) Voltage and power density versus current density at 60% SOC for AZIFB assembled with CoPBI#7 and traditional OPBI without treatment. e) Comparation of the peak power density of AZIFB using CoPBI#7 and OPBI, and other recently reported flow batteries. References [1–12] are cited in the article.[1,11] f) The performances of AZIFB assembled with CoPBI#7 and OPBI at different high current densities of 80, 120, 160, and 200 mA cm⁻².
Formation mechanism and properties of thin Turing membranes. a) The reaction‐diffusion (RD) mechanism for Turing patterns formed on the surface of OPBI membrane. After the coordination of solvated Co²⁺ with OPBI, OPBI‐Co²⁺ (activator) was formed and NMP (inhibitor) was released by desolvation. b,c) The numerical simulation of surface concentration when coordination occurred. The initial reaction points were set to 20 and the diffusion coefficient of the activator (Dactivator) was 0.0002. b) No periodic concentration was formed when the reaction occurred rapidly to generate inhibitor and activator. The diffusion coefficient of the inhibitor and activator was set to 25 times (Dinhibitor = 0.005) and the activator exceeded the upper limit of simulation. c) Periodic concentration was formed to generate Turing patterns when the reaction rate was slower. The diffusion coefficient of the inhibitor and activator was reduced 10‐fold (Dinhibitor = 0.002). More information is listed in Figure S1 (Supporting Information). d) The surface effective contact area and arithmetical mean height (Sa) of membranes varied with time. e) The morphology characterization of membranes varied with time. When the reaction time was too long, the Sa and effective contact area of the membranes changed rarely, such as CoPBI‐2 h and CoPBI‐15 h. The reason why the Sa of CoPBI‐15 h slightly increased could be related to the errors when the data was automatically processed by the laser confocal scanning microscope.
Ion transport channels in thin Turing membranes. a) Schematic diagram of the widened ion transport channels for CoPBI after hydrogen bond breakdown when OPBI coordinates with Co²⁺. b) Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy showed the enhanced fractional free volume (FFV) of CoPBI#7, compared with other reported OPBI membranes,[¹²] and other PBI membranes including mPBI,[¹³] iPBI,[¹⁴] PBI‐(H3PO4)0.16,[¹⁵] HAB‐6FDA‐CI/PBI,[¹⁶] TBB‐PBI,[¹⁷] phenylindane‐PBI,[¹⁸] and TADPS‐TPA.[¹⁹] The FFV data were listed in Table S2 (Supporting Information). c–g) Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the structure and ion conduction of CoPBI and OPBI. Frequency distribution of the number of c) PBI–PBI H bonds and d) PBI–water H bonds in the CoPBI and OPBI membranes. e) Sectional views of the water accessible surface for the CoPBI and OPBI membranes. Cl⁻ is shown as a green sphere, Co²⁺ is shown as a pink sphere, and water molecules are shown as a cyan surface and thin lines. A water channel of 6–8 Å width was formed in the CoPBI. f) Transport path for K⁺ in the double‐layer CoPBI system with snapshots of one K⁺ to pass through the membrane under the regulation of OH⁻ and Cl⁻ absorbed in the membrane (≈3 Å). Water molecules near the first solvation shell are shown in lines. g) Transport path of one free OH⁻ across the membrane in the double‐layer CoPBI system with snapshots indicating the OH⁻ to pass under medium‐range interactions (4–5 Å) with Co²⁺ and NH on the PBI membrane.
High ion conductivity of thin Turing membranes. a) Comparison of the surface morphology and the arithmetical mean height Sa of OPBI and CoPBI#7 according to the laser confocal scanning microscope. b‐f Ion permeability tests for membranes. b) The ion permeability rates of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and [Fe(CN)6]³⁻ for CoPBI#7 by concentration‐driven configuration. c) Effective inhibition of [Fe(CN)6]³⁻ for CoPBI#7. d) The ion permeability curves and permeability coefficient (P) of KOH for CoPBI#7 and OPBI. Error bars, mean ± standard deviation (s.d.). e) Ion permeability curves and permeability coefficient (P) of [Zn(OH)4]²⁻ for CoPBI#7 and OPBI. Error bars, mean ± standard deviation (s.d.). f) The ion permeability coefficient of KOH, [Zn(OH)4]²⁻, and [Fe(CN)6]³⁻ for CoPBI#7 and OPBI.
The alkaline zinc‐iron flow battery (AZIFB) performance assembled with CoPBI#7 and OPBI. Polarization curves of batteries at 30%, 60%, and 90% SOC for AZIFB when using a) CoPBI#7 and b) OPBI. c) The charge‒discharge curve at the different current densities for AZIFB when using CoPBI#7 and OPBI. d) The performance of batteries tested at a high areal capacity of 100 mAh cm⁻² when using CoPBI#7 and OPBI. e) The long‐term performance of AZIFB when using CoPBI#7 at an areal capacity of 40 mAh cm⁻² and a current density of 80 mA cm⁻².
7.9 µm Turing Membranes with High Ion Conductivity for High Power Density Zinc‐Based Flow Battery

April 2023

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68 Reads

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11 Citations

Ion conductive membranes with rapid and selective ion transport are in high demand for high‐power energy storage devices. Surface periodic Turing microstructures are scientifically compelling for their high specific surface area which can promote ion transport of membranes. Here, high‐conductivity thin Turing membranes prepared by Co²⁺ coordination with polybenzimidazole (OPBI) are designed and their efficient ion transport in the alkaline zinc‐iron flow battery (AZIFB) is demonstrated. In this design, the Turing structure increases the effective contact area with the electrolyte, and the 7.9 µm thickness shortens the transmembrane pathway for ions. Molecular dynamics simulations further show that Co²⁺‐coordination enlarges the inner‐chain volume of membranes and forms continuous water channels for rapid ion transport. The boosting effect of membranes with high ion conductivity is proven by the peak power density and energy efficiency of the AZIFB, which shows an ultrahigh peak power density of 1147 mW cm⁻² and demonstrates an energy efficiency of 80% even at a high current density of 200 mA cm⁻².


A sub-10 μm Ion Conducting Membrane with an Ultralow Area Resistance for a High-Power Density Vanadium Flow Battery

April 2023

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24 Reads

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5 Citations

ACS Applied Energy Materials

With the outstanding features of high safety, high efficiency, and long lifespan, the vanadium flow battery (VFB) is well-suited for large-scale energy storage; however, it suffers from low power density. The high ion conductivity of membranes is very important to increase the performance of VFBs at high current densities and improve their power density. Here, we show a highly conductive free-standing sub-10 μm polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane. The decrease in the membrane thickness contributes to shorter ion-transport pathways and lower resistance. The relatively loose cross-linked structure of the thin membrane provides sufficient free volume for ion transport. According to these results, the membrane exhibits an ultralow area resistance of 0.04 Ω cm², much lower than that of commercial Nafion 115 membrane (0.20 Ω cm²), making the ion conductivity superior. Additionally, the sub-10 μm PBI membrane also shows a very high tensile strength of 45.5 MPa and high ion selectivity. The VFB assembled with a sub-10 μm PBI membrane delivers a high energy efficiency of approximately 80% at a high current density of 200 mA cm⁻² and can run stably for more than 500 cycles without obvious performance decay. The increased performance of the VFB at a very high current density of 200 mA cm⁻² contributes to its higher power density. Therefore, it is an available way to adopt free-standing sub-10 μm PBI membranes with high conductivity, selectivity, and mechanical stability to improve the power density of VFBs. Similarly, the application of it will also accelerate the practical application of VFB energy storage technology.




Application of Poly(ether sulfone)‐Based Membranes in Clean Energy Technology

November 2022

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18 Reads

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12 Citations

Poly(ether sulfone) (PES) is a kind of polymer materials with excellent electrical insulation and acid/alkali stability. PES can be operated at high temperature continuously for a long time and still maintain excellent property stability in the environments with rapidly changed temperature, namely, great thermostability. Moreover, PES has low molding shrinkage, good dimensional stability and excellent film‐forming characteristics. Compared with inorganic membranes, PES‐based membranes have lower cost, which have received more attention and wide recognition in the field of clean energy technologies in recent years, such as flow batteries, fuel cells, water treatment, and gas separation. Therefore, this review summarizes the research status and prospect of the utilization of PES‐based membranes in clean energy fields, in order to further promote their development and application.


Citations (37)


... [71] In an aqueous ZnSO 4 -imidazolium bromide electrolyte, Br À anions alter the typical [Zn(H 2 O) 6 ] 2 + solvation structure into [Zn-(H 2 O) 5 Br] + , [23] which accelerates the transport of zinc ions and reduces the Zn deposition overpotential. [72,74] In an aqueous Zn-polyiodide RFB (ZnI 2 , 2.5 M), triiodide-complexed zinc cation [Zn 2 + ·I 3 À ·5H 2 O] + species are formed. [75] Through a halogen bonding interaction between iodine species and carbon host, an reversible I 2 /I À reaction without the formation of I 3 À has been reported. ...

Reference:

New Redox Chemistries of Halogens in Aqueous Batteries
Electrolytes for Bromine-based Flow Batteries: Challenges, Strategies, and Prospects
  • Citing Article
  • June 2024

Energy Storage Materials

... ICRFB has advantages such as environmental friendliness, flexible design, and superior performance, but problems such as slow reaction kinetics and poor cycle stability still hinder its commercial application [10,11]. One of the main research directions is to design the micromorphology and macrostructure of electrodes to resolve these issues [10,12,13]. ...

Reversible Solid Bromine Complexation into Ti3C2Tx MXene Carriers: A Highly Active Electrode for Bromine-based Flow Battery with Ultralow Self-discharge

Energy & Environmental Science

... Additionally, the membrane and electrolyte are also crucial components of traditional ZBFBs. The role of the membrane includes preventing the self-diffusion of watersoluble bromine and oily polybromide phases, ensuring F I G U R E 1 3 (a) Schematic illustration of the fabrication of CTN [84], (b) TEM and HR-TEM image of mWONNFs [85], (c) schematic representation of the preparation of THCF and HCF and of the adsorption effect of THCF in catalysing the Br 2 /Br − redox reaction and entrapped bromine [86], (d) advantages of Ti2CTx MXene as the host for the bromine cathode in comparison to a traditional carbon host and the charge density diagrams of Br − , Br 2 , and Br 3 − on the optimised Ti 2 CTx adsorption sites [87]. HR-TEM, High resolution transmission electron microscope; mWONNFs, mesoporous tungsten oxynitride nanofibers; TEM, Transmission electron microscope. ...

In Situ Vertically Aligned MoS2 Arrays Electrodes for Complexing Agent‐Free Bromine‐Based Flow Batteries with High Power Density and Long Lifespan

... 203 Among those designs, the VANADion membrane marks a significant leap forward for VRFB. 233 Li et al. 234,235 proposed novel membranes for different RFBs, especially for zinc-based flow batteries. Specifically, their proposed low-cost hydrocarbon membrane is synthesized by a pilot-scale roll-to-roll approach and utilized at a 4 kW zinciron RFB stack, 236 achieving an energy efficiency of 85.5% under the current density of 80 mA cm −2 . ...

Highly stable side-chain-type cardo poly(aryl ether ketone)s membranes for vanadium flow battery
  • Citing Article
  • October 2023

Chinese Chemical Letters

... The compatibility of the membrane and electrolyte can greatly affect the life and efficiency of the battery [97]. For example, small-sized single metal cations are more likely to penetrate Nafion membranes compared to large-sized negatively charged metal ligand complexes, leading to reduced battery life [98]. ...

Advanced Membranes Boost the Industrialization of Flow Battery
  • Citing Article
  • July 2023

Accounts of Materials Research

... [55][56][57] Recently, sPEEK has been shown as a promising membrane for AZIRFBs through effective transport of hydroxide ions. 58 To demonstrate the utility of our newly developed microporous sPEEK membranes, laboratoryscale cells were assembled using 0.8 M Na 4 Figure S38). Owing to the low resistance, the battery could be operated at a high current density up to 700 mA cm À2 (Figure 6A), which surpasses the performance of state-of-the-art membranes. ...

7.9 µm Turing Membranes with High Ion Conductivity for High Power Density Zinc‐Based Flow Battery

... In recent decades, membrane separation has become an environmentally friendly, energyefficient separation and purification technology, which makes it suitable for large-scale waste water treatment [6,7]. Polymeric membranes like polypropylene [8], polyethersulfone [9,10], polyvinylidene difluoride [11,12], and PTFE [13][14][15][16] have gained wide usage. In particular, PTFE is known for its excellent chemical resistance, thermal stability, aging resistance, and electrical insulation properties, and is widely used in the fields of aerospace, automotive, and environmental industries [17][18][19]. ...

Application of Poly(ether sulfone)‐Based Membranes in Clean Energy Technology
  • Citing Article
  • November 2022

... Zinc-based flow batteries, as one of the most promising stationary energy storage technologies [4], have gained significant attention due to their high safety, high capacity, long service life, and environmental friendliness [5]. Zinc-based flow batteries can be mainly divided into zinc-iron flow batteries [6], zinc-bromine flow batteries [7], zinc-iodine flow batteries [8] and other types of flow batteries [9][10][11]. Zinc-bromine flow batteries (ZBFBs) have emerged as an ideal choice owing to their high stability, low cost and high energy density [11]. ...

Lamella-like electrode with high Br2-entrapping capability and activity enabled by adsorption and spatial confinement effects for bromine-based flow battery
  • Citing Article
  • May 2022

Science Bulletin

... Many strategies have been proposed to address these challenges, including the electrode materials modifications. Li's group [ 10 ] summarized the recent progress on the cathode materials in bromine-based FB (Br-FBs). The advantage, limitation, and future directions of different electrode materials and relevant modification approaches for Br-FBs are presented in this review. ...

Progress and Perspective of the Cathode Materials towards Bromine-Based Flow Batteries

... Owing to the existence of pores, porous metallic materials give them the dual attributes of being structural and functional [1,2], which has attracted much attention in recent years. With many extraordinary characteristics, such as low relative density, large specific surface area, lightweight, sound insulation, and energy absorption, porous metals are widely applied in lightweight [3,4], medical implants [5][6][7], filtration and separation [8,9], sound absorption and noise reduction [10][11][12], heat exchange [13][14][15] and battery catalysis [16,17]. Therefore, a porous structure with channeled pores and pore sizes less than 100 µm plays a particularly important role in physical and chemical performance owing to the excellent connectivity and high specific surface area of the micropores. ...

Advanced Porous Composite Membrane with Ability to Regulate Zinc Deposition Enables Dendrite-free and High-Areal capacity Zinc-based Flow Battery
  • Citing Article
  • February 2022

Energy Storage Materials