After years of working on an organic aqueous flow battery, researchers found that their ground-breaking, organic anthraquinone molecules were decomposing over time, reducing the long-term usefulness of the battery. Now, the researchers have not only learned how the molecules are decomposing but also how to reverse it. The team’s rejuvenation method cuts the capacity fade rate of the battery a factor of 40 while keeping the cost of the battery low.
This flow battery uses a new organic molecule that outlives and outperforms its predecessors, offering the longest-lasting high-performance organic flow battery to date. Credit: Eliza Grinnell To sustain human civilization in the future, clean energy sources must be harnessed to replace the fossil fuels that are now polluting our atmosphere. Solar and wind energy can supply all the necessary energy.