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Molecularly Modulated SPEEK Membranes With Engineered Dual-Ion Transport for High-Performance Alkaline Zinc-Iron Flow
Chunli Song1, Zhenle Gan1, Yiwei Meng2
1School of Chemical and Blasting Engineering, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a novel molecularly engineered membrane for alkaline zinc-iron flow batteries (AZIFBs). This advanced ion-exchange membrane (IEM) enhances battery efficiency and lifespan, offering a cost-effective solution for large-scale energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) are critical for alkaline zinc-iron flow batteries (AZIFBs), impacting energy efficiency and cycle life.
- Commercially available IEMs face conductivity-selectivity trade-offs, while microporous membranes have complex synthesis requirements.
- Developing advanced IEMs is crucial for improving the cost-effectiveness and performance of large-scale energy storage systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize a molecularly engineered ion-exchange membrane for enhanced AZIFB performance.
- To overcome the limitations of existing IEMs by creating tailored free-volume structures and uniform ionic channels.
- To demonstrate a viable molecular design strategy for next-generation IEMs in cost-effective AZIFBs.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of cyclohexyl units into poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) with precisely tuned sulfonation.
- Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations to analyze membrane structure, ion transport, and water network.
- Fabricating and testing the m-SPEEK-HMBC membrane in an AZIFB system.
Main Results:
- The m-SPEEK-HMBC membrane exhibits a size-selective dual-ion conduction mechanism, enabling efficient ion transport and suppressing crossover of bulky species.
- Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed uniform sulfonate distribution and a percolated water network for superior ion transport and selectivity.
- AZIFBs utilizing the m-SPEEK-HMBC membrane achieved >76.7% energy efficiency across a wide current density range (40-400 mA cm⁻²), a peak power density of ~600 mW cm⁻², and stable capacity retention over 1000 cycles.
Conclusions:
- The molecularly engineered m-SPEEK-HMBC membrane offers a promising solution for high-performance AZIFBs.
- The tailored free-volume structure and dual-ion conduction mechanism significantly improve both conductivity and selectivity.
- This work presents a viable molecular design strategy for developing advanced IEMs for cost-effective large-scale energy storage applications.
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