Findings from Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena in Chemicals and Chemistry Reported (Hyperbranched Tempo-based Polymers As Catholytes for Redox Flow Battery Applications).

A study conducted at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena in Germany focused on the application of hyperbranched TEMPO-based polymers as catholytes for redox flow battery (RFB) applications. The research aimed to address challenges such as high viscosity, slow diffusion, and sluggish charge transfer rates associated with redox-active polymers in RFBs. The study established a new synthesis approach for TEMPO-based polymers and investigated the influence of structure and molar mass distribution on hydrodynamic properties. While the hyperbranched polymers showed potential for high capacity polymer-based catholytes with low viscosity and rapid diffusion, challenges such as material loss during dialysis and side reactions of TEMPO moieties were identified. The research concluded that the polymers exhibited low cycling stability and were prone to crossover, suggesting the need for further development to overcome these challenges. [Extracted from the article]