Crosslinked anion exchange membranes prepared from poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) for non-aqueous redox flow batteries

A stable and eco-friendly anion-exchange membrane (AEM) was prepared and applied in a non-aqueous all copper redox flow battery (RFB). The AEM was prepared via a simple procedure, leading to a cross-linked structure containing quaternary ammonium groups without involvement of harmful trimethylamine. A network was thus constructed which ensured both ion transport and solvent resistance. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was tuned from 0.49 to 1.03 meq g(-1) by varying the content of the 4, 4'-bipyridine crosslinking agent. The membrane showed a good anion conductivity and retention of copper ions. As a proof of principle, a RFB single cell with this crosslinked membrane yielded a coulombic efficiency of 89%, a voltage efficiency of 61% and an energy efficiency of 54% at 7.5 mA cm(-2).