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Inorganic Nanowire-Modified Polyelectrolytes for Vanadium Flow Battery Membranes

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Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are seen as promising candidates for grid energy storage. However, the high cost of the battery's ion-exchange membrane, DuPont's Nafion, restricts its economic viability. Nafion also exhibits high vanadium permeability, hindering battery lifespan. Studies show that Nafion conducts protons well because of the 4 nm sulfonate ion channels it forms, but these channels might be large enough for vanadium ions. Thus, it was hypothesized that simpler polyanions, when casted with inorganic nanowires, would order themselves around the nanowires, thereby orienting charged channels for proton mobility while simultaneously plugging channel volume from vanadium bulk transport. The goal was to fabricate a low cost membrane with high selectivity and conductivity.

  • This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.
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  • E-project-042418-170809
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  • 2018
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  • 2018-04-24
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