A redox flow battery is an energy storage device that stores and releases electrical energy through the redox reactions of active species dissolved in liquid electrolytes. Its most prominent feature is the independent scalability of power and energy capacity, making it a highly promising large-scale grid storage technology with advantages such as high safety, long cycle life, and easy scalability. Among them, the all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) has attracted widespread attention because it uses vanadium ions for both the positive and negative electrodes, thus eliminating the issue of cross-contamination. Meanwhile, the non-aqueous organic redox flow battery (NAORFB) can break the voltage limitations of traditional aqueous batteries, offering a higher energy density. Our laboratory has recently achieved several pioneering breakthroughs in the field of flow batteries. For VRFBs, we developed a dual-functional nitrogen-doped tungsten carbide nanowires (N-WC NWs) catalyst through nanostructure engineering, wherein a single material can efficiently catalyze redox reactions at both the positive and negative electrodes simultaneously. Additionally, we innovatively proposed a tungstated zirconia catalyst derived from a metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor. By forming stable W-O-Zr chemical bonds, this strategy significantly strengthens the adhesion between the active components and the substrate, thereby preventing the active materials from peeling off due to electrolyte flushing and greatly enhancing the energy efficiency and stability of the battery at high current densities. At the system engineering level, our team invented a cable-tie packaging technology, successfully developing a 5 kW-class localized high-power stack with a volume reduction of approximately 66%. Regarding NAORFBs, we designed N-isobutylphenothiazine (iBuPT) through molecular engineering. By utilizing the steric hindrance effect to effectively stabilize radical cations, we successfully increased the open-circuit voltage of the battery to 2.25 V, solving the critical pain point of short cycle life in organic systems.

πŸ“„ Latest Publications

πŸ“„ Molybdenum-doped NiCoβ‚‚Oβ‚„ nanowires with enriched oxygen vacancies for wide-current-density VRFBs

Zih-Jhong Huang, Hailegnaw Gizaw Workie, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Johan Nabiel Raihan, Sun-Tang Chang, Tai-Chin Chiang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Surface & Coatings Technology, 527 (2026) 133385

πŸ“„ Engineering palladium-nickel alloy sites on N-doped reduced graphene oxide for enhanced catalytic hydrogenation of vanadium electrolytes

Hailegnaw Gizaw Workie, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu, Anteneh Wodaje Bayeh, Zih-Jhong Huang, Johan Nabiel Raihan, Sun-Tang Chang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 26 (2026) 101115

πŸ“„ Engineering defect-rich high-entropy (CrMnFeCoNi)₃Oβ‚„/rGO nanocomposites for high-performance vanadium redox flow batteries

Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Yu-Ling Wang, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu, Hailegnaw Gizaw Workie, Anteneh Wodaje Bayeh, Zih-Jhong Huang, Ning-Yih Hsu, Hung-Hsien Ku, Yao-Ming Wang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Journal of Power Sources, 666 (2026) 239082

πŸ“„ Engineering high-entropy oxide on reduced graphene oxide as a highly stable and efficient electrocatalyst for vanadium redox flow batteries

Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu, Anteneh Wodaje Bayeh, Krishnakant Tiwari, Zih-Jhong Huang, Ning-Yih Hsu, Hung-Hsien Ku, Sun-Tang Chang, Ying-Rui Lu, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Journal of Energy Storage, 141 (2026) 119119

🀝 Unveiling the potential of oxygen-rich VNbMoTaWOx high-entropy catalyst for superior anode performance for sustainable vanadium redox flow batteries

Krishnakant Tiwari, Chen-Hao Wang, Bih-Show Lou, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Igamcha Moirangthem, Shiqi Wang, Ismail Rahmadtulloh, Chaur-Jeng Wang, Wenyi Huo, Jyh-Wei Lee Β· Journal of Power Sources, 654 (2025) 237826

🀝 Elucidating the synergistic behavior of plasma-surface interaction via air tornado-type atmospheric pressure plasma on graphite felt for vanadium redox flow batteries

Song-Yu Chen, Yu-Lin Kuo, Chen-Hao Wang, Tai-Chin Chiang Β· Applied Surface Science, 695 (2025) 162874

πŸ“„ Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries Using Li4Ti5O12/TiO2 Nanocomposite-Modified Graphite Felt Electrodes

Zih-Jhong Huang, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Guan-Cheng Chen, Ning-Yih Hsu, Hung-Hsien Ku, Yao-Ming Wang, Tai-Chin Chiang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· ChemElectroChem, 12 (2025) e202400477

πŸ“„ Enhanced electrochemical performance of copper-doped cobalt oxide nanowire-modified graphite felt as positive electrode material for vanadium redox flow batteries

Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Chun-Hong Guo, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu, Zih-Jhong Huang, Guan-Cheng Chen, Anteneh Wodaje Bayeh, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Chemical Engineering Journal, 505 (2025) 159170

πŸ“„ Perspective on electrocatalysts and performance hindrances at the negative electrode in vanadium redox flow batteries

Anteneh Wodaje Bayeh, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu*, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Guan-Cheng Chen, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Journal of Energy Storage, 102 (2024) 114026

πŸ“„ Molecular engineering, supporting electrolyte, and membrane selections for enhanced cycling stability of non-aqueous organic redox flow batteries: A review

Belay Getahun Tegegne, Anteneh Wodaje Bayeh, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu*, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Chen-Hao Wang** Β· Chemical Engineering Journal, 501 (2024) 157792

πŸ“„ Nitrogen-doped carbonaceous electrode modified by biological metal-organic framework for vanadium redox flow batteries

Yun-Ting Ou, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu, Keseven Lakshmanan, Guan-Cheng Chen, Zih-Jhong Huang, Ning-Yih Hsu, Hung-Hsien Ku, Yao-Ming Wang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Surface & Coatings Technology, 480 (2024) 130574

πŸ“„ Defect-rich high-entropy spinel oxide catalyst for efficient vanadium redox flow battery

Xun-Hong Xiao, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu**, Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Guan-Cheng Chen, Yun-Ting Ou, Zih-Jhong Huang, Ning-Yih Hsu, Hung-Hsien Ku, Yao-Ming Wang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· Journal of Power Sources, 597 (2024) 234178

πŸ“„ Surface Electroactive Sites of Tungstated Zirconia Catalysts for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu*, Guan-Cheng Chen, Yun-Ting Ou, Zih-Jhong Huang, Tai-Chin Chiang, Hsin-Chih Huang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16 (2024) 7047–7056

πŸ“„ High entropy alloy oxide coating of VNbMoTaWOx as a novel electrode modification of vanadium redox flow batteries

Krishnakant Tiwari, Chen-Hao Wang, Bih-Show Lou, Chaur-Jeng Wang, Igamcha Moirangthem, Ismail Rahmadtulloh, Jyh-Wei Lee* Β· Journal of Energy Storage, 94 (2024) 112344

πŸ“„ High-Entropy Oxide of (BiZrMoWCeLa)Oβ‚‚ as a Novel Catalyst for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Aknachew Mebreku Demeku, Daniel Manaye Kabtamu*, Guan-Cheng Chen, Yun-Ting Ou, Zih-Jhong Huang, Ning-Yih Hsu, Hung-Hsien Ku, Yao-Ming Wang, Chen-Hao Wang* Β· ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16 (2024) 10019–10032

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