A Low-Cost Neutral Zinc-Iron Flow Battery with High Energy Density for Stationary Energy Storage

Flow batteries (FBs) are one of the most promising stationary energy-storage devices for storing renewable energy. However, commercial progress of FBs is limited by their high cost and low energy density. A neutral zinc-iron FB with very low cost and high energy density is presented. By using highly soluble FeCl₂ /ZnBr₂ species, a charge energy density of 56.30 Wh L^-1 can be achieved. DFT calculations demonstrated that glycine can combine with iron to suppress hydrolysis and crossover of Fe³⁺ /Fe²⁺ . The results indicated that an energy efficiency of 86.66 % can be obtained at 40 mA cm^-2 and the battery can run stably for more than 100 cycles. Furthermore, a low-cost porous membrane was employed to lower the capital cost to less than $ 50 per kWh, which was the lowest value that has ever been reported. Combining the features of low cost, high energy density and high energy efficiency, the neutral zinc-iron FB is a promising candidate for stationary energy-storage applications.