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Vol. 18 (2026)

Bidirectionally Enhanced Reaction Kinetics in Vanadium Redox Flow Battery via Regulating Mixed-Valence States in Perovskite Electrodes

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-02060-0
Yingqiao Jiang
School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, People’s Republic of China
Ming Li
School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, People’s Republic of China
Jiaye Ye
School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
Lei Dai
School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, People’s Republic of China
Haoran Jiang
Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
Ling Wang
School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, People’s Republic of China
Zhangxing He
School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Zhangxing He

zxhe@ncst.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 233

Abstract

Various metal oxide catalysts have been utilized to enhance the electrode reaction kinetics in vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). However, the determining factor governing their catalysis is still insufficiently understood. Herein, selectively doping of Sr and Ce at La site of LaMnO3 perovskite (LSMO and LCMO) was used to modulate chemical environments of Mn ion activity donors, thereby boosting vanadium redox reaction processes. Sr doping increases the valence state of Mn ions, making it easier for Mn ions to take an electron from the electrode and transfer it to V3+ ions, which lowers the reaction energy barrier of V3+/V2+ redox processes. Conversely, Ce doping decreases the Mn valence and increases the oxygen vacancies, boosting the charge transfer and mass transfer of VO2+/VO2+ redox processes. Theoretical calculation further demonstrates that doping Sr and Ce enhances the vanadium ion’s ability for charge transfer and adsorption. Compared with pristine VRFB, the VRFB with LSMO- and LCMO-modified anode and cathode, respectively, exhibits an excellent energy efficiency (EE) of 67% at a high current density of 300 mA cm−2 and an increased EE of 15% at 150 mA cm−2. This study is critical for promoting fundamental understanding and offering a design strategy for achieving superior-performance metal-based electrocatalysts in VRFB.


Highlights:
1 A selectively regulating strategy for chemical environments of Mn ion activity donors in LaMnO3 perovskite can bidirectionally enhance vanadium reaction kinetics.
2 The key reactive sites and control steps of perovskite on vanadium redox reactions are established based on electrochemical tests and theoretical calculation.
3 Sr and Ce doped LaMnO3 as anode and cathode catalysts of the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) , respectively, synergistically improves the VRFB’s energy storage performance.

Keywords

Vanadium redox flow battery Perovskite Selective regulation Electronic structure Reaction kinetics
Jiang, Yingqiao, Ming Li, Jiaye Ye, Lei Dai, Haoran Jiang, Ling Wang, and Zhangxing He. 2026. “Bidirectionally Enhanced Reaction Kinetics in Vanadium Redox Flow Battery via Regulating Mixed-Valence States in Perovskite Electrodes”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (February):233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-02060-0.
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