Edge-Activated Few-Layer Bismuthene for Ampere-Level Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are crucial for large-scale energy storage.
• Current catalysts limit VRFB power density and economic viability.
• Suboptimal catalyst activity hinders technological advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel catalyst for enhancing VRFB performance.
• To investigate the catalytic activity of few-layer bismuthene nanoflakes (BieneNF).
• To address limitations in vanadium redox kinetics and thermodynamics.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of few-layer bismuthene nanoflakes (BieneNF).
• Electrochemical evaluation of BieneNF as a catalyst in VRFBs.
• Analysis of vanadium redox kinetics and thermodynamics enhancement.
• Long-term cycling stability tests.

Main Results:

• BieneNF exhibits ultra-high intrinsic reactivity at its periphery, enhancing vanadium redox kinetics.
• The catalyst demonstrated significant activity enhancement over bulk bismuth.
• Achieved energy efficiency up to 80.51% and peak power density of 3.047 W cm⁻².
• Maintained catalyst stability over 10,000 cycles at 0.8 A cm⁻².

Conclusions:

• Few-layer bismuthene nanoflakes offer a promising solution for high-performance VRFBs.
• The edge-activated catalytic mechanism overcomes deactivation and ohmic loss challenges.
• This work provides a generalizable strategy for designing advanced nanostructured catalysts for energy storage.