Fabrication and Electrochemical Performance of Low-Cost Soluble Lead Redox Flow Battery Using Two Different Carbon Electrodes

Abstract

The existing approach focuses on the fabrication of simple cost-effective soluble lead redox flow batteries using a different carbon-based electrode. Two different soluble lead redox flow cells with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and ultrathin graphite (UG) as electrode material are fabricated and their electrochemical performance has been studied individually. The different carbon material—rGO and UG were synthesized using wet chemical and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method respectively. The synthesized carbon nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Electrolyte consists of solution of lead (II) methanesulfonate and methanesulfonic acid without using any additive which has been circulated in cell through the pump at a flow rate of 90 ml min−1. The electrochemical performance of two different carbon-based SLRFBs single cell has been studied and compared. The average discharge capacity of rGO-SLRFB is around 167 mAh with an average efficiency of 92% has been observed. The rGO-SLRFB cell is tested for 20 charge/discharge cycles at a constant current of 0.5 A. However, in the case of UG-SLRFB the decay in capacity was observed within initial cycles and the failure analysis of the same has been studied in current work.