LEAPS-MPS: CAS: What Makes Flow Batteries Fail? Establishing 'Stress Test' Protocols for Accelerated Characterization of New Chemistries

该项目由化学部管理，并与既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助，在该项目中，新墨西哥州矿业与技术学院(NMT)的Nicolas Hlubowitch教授和他的学生将研究导致电网规模储能的氧化还原液流电池退化的机制。该项目寻求通过各种举措扩大NMT化学研究生课程的形象，旨在利用他们的地理位置和获得不同人口统计数据的机会。更广泛的影响计划包括(1)新的电化学和计算化学专题研究生课程，填补当前课程的空白；(2)专注于STEM相关活动，并为本科生开设研究生教育/就业机会速成课程；(3)组织各种活动、社交聚会和研究研讨会，在我们的研究生课程中建立社区意识，并将其影响扩展到社区。该项目将对两类下一代RFB活性化合物紫精和氮氧自由基的最先进电解液进行系统控制：PH值、浓度、痕量氧和温度波动。化学和性能退化将通过现场和非现场研究进行关联，从而允许以高分辨率绘制RFB配置及其环境敏感性的参数空间。将建立一个公共数据库RFBrxiv.org，供社区报告、比较和讨论结果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In this project, which is managed by the Chemistry Division and funded jointly with the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Professor Nicolas Holubowitch and his students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT) will investigate mechanisms leading to the degradation of redox flow batteries for grid-scale energy storage. The project seeks to broaden the profile of NMT Chemistry’s graduate program through a variety of initiatives meant to leverage their geographic location and access to diverse demographics. Broader impact initiatives include (1) a new electrochemistry and computational chemistry Special Topics graduate course filling in gaps in the current curriculum; (2) focused STEM-related activities and a crash course on post-graduate education/career opportunities for undergraduate students; and (3) organization of various events, social gatherings and research symposia that establish a sense of community within our graduate program and extend their reach to the community.Professor Holubowitch will establish a deep understanding of processes and environmental factors responsible for limiting the performance and lifetime of emerging sustainable redox flow battery chemistries. The project will subject state-of-the-art electrolytes from two next-gen RFB classes of active compounds, viologens and nitroxyl radicals, to systematically controlled conditions: pH, concentration, trace oxygen, and temperature fluctuations. Chemical and performance degradation will be correlated across in situ and ex situ studies, allowing the parameter space for RFB configurations and their environmental susceptibility to be mapped with high resolution. A public database, RFBrxiv.org, will be established for the community to report, compare, and discuss results.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.