Nafion/organic silica hybrid membrane for vanadium redox flow battery

Nafion/organic silica hybrid membrane was prepared via an in situ sol-gel reaction method and the ion exchange capacity (IEC), conductivity and water transport rate of the hybrid membrane were measured. Results indicate that compared with Nafion membrane, the hybrid membrane can efficiently block water transfer across the membrane. The average coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency of the VRB with the Nafion/organic silica membrane were all remarkably increased. Furthermore, the Nafion/organic silica hybrid membrane is very stable for more than 80 charge-discharge cycles at current density of 60 mA · cm^-2. Results show that the Nafion/organic silica membrane is a novel hybrid membrane and applicable to VRB.