A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Aza-Anthraquinone derivative as a highly stable negolyte for acidic aqueous organic flow batteries
Authors: Li, Qiujun; Artault, Maxime; Maouche, Chanez; Gonzalez, Gabriel; Pihko, Petri M.; Peljo, Pekka
Publisher: Elsevier
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Journal of Energy Storage
Article number: 122025
Volume: 162
ISSN: 2352-152X
eISSN: 2352-1538
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.122025
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.122025
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523361220
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Aqueous organic flow batteries (AOFBs) offer a scalable pathway for long-duration energy storage, yet their performance is often limited by the solubility, stability, or kinetic behavior of organic redox materials. We report a molecular design strategy based on the N-alkylation of 5,8-difluoro-2-aza-anthraquinone to access a new class of quaternized pyridinium salts (AAQ-1, AAQ-2, AAQ-3). N-alkylation of the pyridinium group enhanced solubility and enabled the tuning of redox behavior. AAQ-1 displayed superior electrochemical characteristics, including high solubility (847 mM in 2 M H₂SO₄) and fast charge transfer kinetics (k0 = 2.6 × 10−2 cm/s). Full-cell tests at both low and high concentrations further demonstrated very good stability, with a small capacity fade of 0.05% per day at high concentration, reaching a volumetric capacity of 25.6 Ah/L and a theoretical maximum of 43.4 Ah/L. AAQ-3 showed stable cycling at low concentration with small capacity decay of 0.46% per day. Post-mortem analyses on AAQ-1 revealed no structural degradation. Additionally, Pourbaix analysis confirmed a 2e−/2H+ proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism active under acidic conditions. This work introduces a practical, scalable, and tuneable redox platform for AOFBs. Through functional design, we demonstrate the feasibility of high-performance organic negolytes for long-duration, sustainable energy storage systems.
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Funding information in the publication:
Support from Research Council Finland (project 348328 – via European Union – NextGenerationEU instrument – to P. M. P. and 348326 to P.P.) is gratefully acknowledged. G.G. gratefully acknowledges the financial support from the University of Turku Graduate School.