Toward the Development of a Uranium-Based Redox-Flow Battery

Waldschmidt P, Jori N, Riedhammer J, Heinemann FW, Meyer K (2025)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Chemsuschem Wiley-VCH Verlag

DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202501782

Abstract

An all-uranium-based electrochemical cell consisting of simple [UIV/V(tBuacac)4]0/+ and [UIII/IV(N(SiMe3)2)4]−/0 complexes as anolyte and catholyte species was constructed with a cell voltage of 2.2 V. The [UIV(tBuacac)4] (1) and [UIV(N(SiMe3)2)4] (2) complexes have favorable properties for redox-flow-battery applications, including reversible redox chemistry, relatively high stability toward electrochemical cycling, and high solubility in common organic solvents. The [UIII/IV(N(SiMe3)2)4]−/0 complexes were first isolated and characterized by Schelter et al., and performed well in electrochemical studies due to the comparably low reduction potential of −2.05 V vs. Fc/Fc+ to the reduced uranium(III) species. Treatment of conveniently accessible 1 with AgSbF6 allowed the isolation of [UV(tBuacac)4][SbF6] (3), which is the active catholyte species generated during cell charging. Galvanostatic cycling with charging and discharging at currents of 20 and 5 μA, respectively, was performed in a two-compartment static H-cell with high-surface-area carbon fiber electrodes to achieve a potential of 2.2 V. The success of this 1||2 cell-provides a promising entry point to a potential future class of uranium-based, nonaqueous redox-flow-battery electrolytes, not for use in personal devices but incorporated into underground energy storage systems, where weight and radioactivity levels are not an issue and where this abundant waste material could find new application.

Authors with CRIS profile

Pablo Waldschmidt Lehrstuhl für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie Nadir Jori Lehrstuhl für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie Judith Riedhammer Lehrstuhl für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie Frank Wilhelm Heinemann Lehrstuhl für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie Karsten Meyer Lehrstuhl für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie

How to cite

APA:

Waldschmidt, P., Jori, N., Riedhammer, J., Heinemann, F.W., & Meyer, K. (2025). Toward the Development of a Uranium-Based Redox-Flow Battery. Chemsuschem. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202501782

MLA:

Waldschmidt, Pablo, et al. "Toward the Development of a Uranium-Based Redox-Flow Battery." Chemsuschem (2025).

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