Aqueous organic flow batteries (AOFBs) are a promising technology for integrating renewable energy and enhancing electricity grid storage, thanks to their inherent safety and the availability of naturally abundant, synthetically tunable organic redox-active molecules (ORAMs).
Are organic batteries a viable alternative to conventional energy storage?
Conventional energy storage technologies predominantly rely on inorganic materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which present significant challenges in terms of resource scarcity, environmental impact and supply chain ethics. Organic batteries, composed of carbon-based molecules, offer an alternative that addresses these concerns.
Are organic batteries more sustainable?
A lower energy to produce OEMs also indicates that organic batteries might be easier to degrade or recycle 65, 66, 67. The abundance of constituent elements of electrode materials is an important aspect affecting the cost and sustainability of batteries.
What are organic batteries?
Unlike traditional LIBs that rely on inorganic electrode materials (IEMs) based on transition metals, organic batteries use organic electrode materials (OEMs) composed of abundant light elements such as C, H, O, N and S (Fig. 1b).
Are organic batteries suitable for small volume applications?
Organic batteries might be unsuitable for small volume applications or the requirements of high specific energy based on battery mass. However, organic batteries might work well as a complement to inorganic batteries, and thus, it is important to determine their most suitable applications. Fig. 4: Potential applications of organic batteries.
Are organic batteries better than commercial lithium ion batteries?
Organic batteries use redox-active organic materials and can potentially achieve higher specific energy than that of commercial lithium-ion batteries. Organic electrode materials (OEMs) capable of storing Na, K, Zn, Mg, Al and Ca ions might be used in high-specific-energy applications.
What makes a good organic battery system?
If combined with solid-state electrolytes, particularly solid polymer electrolytes, organic batteries can be tuned to achieve desired shapes and applications 241. A practical battery and battery system need to be scalable, cost-effective, safe and recyclable. It also needs to be easy to assemble and disassemble, mass produce and regenerate 67, 242.