Electrochemical cell structure including an ionomeric barrier
View Patent ↗An apparatus includes an electrochemical half-cell comprising: an electrolyte, an anode; and an ionomeric barrier positioned between the electrolyte and the anode. The anode may comprise a multi-electron vanadium phosphorous alloy, such as VP x , wherein x is 1-5. The electrochemical half-cell is configured to oxidize the vanadium and phosphorous alloy to release electrons. A method of mitigating corrosion in an electrochemical cell includes disposing an ionomeric barrier in a path of electrolyte or ion flow to an anode and mitigating anion accumulation on the surface of the anode.
1. A apparatus comprising:
an electrochemical half-cell comprising:
an electrolyte;
an anode; and
an ionomeric barrier directly connected to the anode;
wherein the ionomer of the ionomeric barrier comprises a polymer with attached cationic functional groups; and
wherein the attached cationic functional groups is selected from: quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, sulfonium, complexed metal cations, and resonance-stabilized cations, pyridinium, imidazolium, and guanidinium functional groups; and
wherein the anode comprises vanadium phosphorus.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a metal subject to corrosion by oxidation.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a battery.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an aqueous solution.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polymer base of the ionomeric barrier is selected from the group consisting of: poly(phenylene), poly(sulfone), poly(ethylene), poly(arylene ether), poly(ether ether ketone), poly(styrene), or polymers with perfluorinated backbones.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ionomeric barrier is coupled to the anode.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an air cathode.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a separator and a cathode, the separator positioned between the anode and the cathode.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the ionomeric barrier has a hydroxide conductivity of 20 to 100 mS cm −1 .