Current Research Progress on Electrode Materials for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Authors

Wen-Qi Wang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Jie Jin, Urumqi railway station China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd., Urumqi, 830009, China
Li-Min Wang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaFollow
Xin-Yue Liu, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Tao Cheng, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Yong Hou, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Han Xue, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Zhi-Yu Wang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Bo Liu, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Jia-Bao Liu, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Xu-Bin Lu, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaFollow

Corresponding Author

Limin Wang (limin.w@163.com);
Xubin Lu (xubin.lu@mail.lzjtu.cn)

Abstract

The redox active species in all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) reside in the electrolyte, while the heterogeneous reactions occur on the electrode surface; the electrode is therefore the decisive platform for dynamic adsorption, electron transfer, and ion conversion, especially for the VO²⁺/VO₂ ⁺ and V²⁺/V³⁺ couples. One of the major challenges for VRFBs is the slow charge transfer in VO²⁺/VO₂ ⁺ and V²⁺/V³⁺ reactions, mainly caused by poor catalytic performance of electrodes and weak adhesion of catalysts to electrodes. This review focuses on the key challenges and recent advancements in VRFBs. It begins with an overview of VRFBs, including their history, working principles, applications, and the advantages and limitations associated with their use. One persistent, under-addressed trade-off is that strategies that boost apparent activity (e.g., high defect density or surface area) can degrade adhesion and cycling durability under flow shear; activity should therefore be co-reported with adhesion and durability descriptors. Addressing this trade-off is critical to improving overall efficiency and stability in VRFBs systems. A comprehensive discussion of various electrode materials is presented, categorized by their properties and preparation methods. Special emphasis is placed on the synthesis and application of carbon-based electrode materials, highlighting their potential in addressing these challenges. Finally, we map materials-level gains to stack- and system-level metrics, and outline strategies, with a focus on bifunctional and in-situ grown catalysts, for achieving high-efficiency, high-stability VRFBs.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Vanadium redox flow batteries, Electrode material, Carbon-based nanomaterials, Defect-tailor

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.61558/2993-074X.3589

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Date

2026-02-28

Online Available Date

2025-10-13

Revised Date

2025-09-25

Received Date

2025-07-08

Recommended Citation

Wen-Qi Wang, Jie Jin, Li-Min Wang, Xin-Yue Liu, Tao Cheng, Yong Hou, Han Xue, Zhi-Yu Wang, Bo Liu, Jia-Bao Liu, Xu-Bin Lu. Current Research Progress on Electrode Materials for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2026 , 32(2): 2507081.
DOI: 10.61558/2993-074X.3589
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol32/iss2/1