WARF TECHNOLOGIES

Fuel cells and other types of electrochemical cells often rely on costly platinum cathodes to drive oxygen reduction. A team of UW-Madison researchers recently developed a cost-saving scheme to improve the efficiency of oxygen reduction reactions in electrochemical cells. Instead of a platinum catalyst, their method combined a redox catalyst with a charge transfer mediator (such as a quinone) capable of transferring electrons and protons.

The UW-Madison researchers have now identified alternative quinone-based redox mediators with improved stability for use in electrochemical cells. The new compounds feature sulfonated thioethers substituted at the C-H positions of the quinone.

The compounds have a high reduction potential in their oxidized form. They also are soluble in water and stable in aqueous acid solutions, making them useful as redox mediators in emerging technologies like fuel cells or flow batteries.

• Energy storage, such as flow batteries
• Energy delivery, such as fuel cells

• High yields
• Uses benzoquinone rather than tetrachlorobenzoquinone as a feedstock
• Soluble in water
• Stable in aqueous acid solutions
• Enables lower cost, efficient catalysis

The development of this technology was supported by the WARF Accelerator Program. The Accelerator Program selects WARF’s most commercially promising technologies and provides expert assistance and funding to enable achievement of commercially significant milestones. WARF believes that these technologies are especially attractive opportunities for licensing.

For More Information About the Inventors

• Shannon Stahl

Related Technologies

• P140274US02
• P170232US02

Publications

• Gerken et al. 2020. Comparison of Quinone-Based Catholytes for Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries and Demonstration of Long-Term Stability with Tetrasubstituted Quinones. Adv. Energy Mater. doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202000340

Tech Fields

• Clean Technology : Energy storage, delivery & resource efficiencies