The present invention provides an aqueous electrolyte for use in rechargeable zinc-halide storage batteries that possesses improved stability and durability and improves zinc-halide battery performance. One aspect of the present invention provides an electrolyte for use in a secondary zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprising from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of ZnBr.sub.2 by weight of the electrolyte; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KBr; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KCl; and one or more quaternary ammonium agents, wherein the electrolyte comprises from about 0.5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the one or more quaternary ammonium agents.

The present invention relates to a range of halide organic salts and their use in a cathode of an electrical cell and in batteries. Elemental halides have attracted intense interest as promising electrodes for energy storage. However, they suffer from a number of inherent physicochemical drawbacks, including the volatility of iodine, the corrosiveness of liquid bromine. The salts of the present invention may serve as a cathode matched with a zinc anode avoiding these issues.

The present invention relates to a range of halide organic salts and their use in a cathode of an electrical cell and in batteries. Elemental halides have attracted intense interest as promising electrodes for energy storage. However, they suffer from a number of inherent physicochemical drawbacks, including the volatility of iodine, the corrosiveness of liquid bromine. The salts of the present invention may serve as a cathode matched with a zinc anode avoiding these issues.

A zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprises an anode-side subassembly, an insulating porous separator, and a cathode-side subassembly. The anode-side subassembly comprises an anode current terminal, an anode current collector, an anode support, an anode sheet, and an anode insulating net. The cathode-side subassembly comprises a cathode insulating mesh, a cathode graphite felt, a cathode sheet, a cathode current collector, and a cathode current terminal. The anode-side subassembly and the cathode-side subassembly are separated by the insulating porous separator.

An aqueous rechargeable zinc-iodine battery includes an aqueous electrolyte solution including zinc-iodine; a zinc anode; and a double-layered cathode having: a conductive substrate, and an adsorptive layer disposed over the conductive substrate.

Provided is an electrolyte for use in a secondary zinc halide electrochemical cell comprising: from about 20 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a zinc halide of formula ZnY.sub.2 or any combination of zinc halides of formula ZnY.sub.2, wherein Y is a halide selected from fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, or any combination thereof; from about 10 wt. % to about 79 wt. % of H.sub.2O; and from about 0.5 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of one or more zinc additives. The one or more zinc additives comprises a first zinc additive, wherein the first zinc additive is a salt that is not a zinc halide and comprises an anion with a van der Waals volume of greater than about 65 Å.sup.3. Also provided is a secondary zinc halide battery comprising at least one electrochemical cell comprising at least one bipolar electrode and the zinc halide electrolyte. Also provided is a secondary zinc halide battery comprising a zinc metal reservoir.

A bipolar electrode comprising a cathode substrate loaded with a halogen complexing agent that has a structure of formula Q.sup.+(R.sup.A)(R.sup.B)(R.sup.C)(R.sup.D)X.sup.−, is disclosed. The bipolar electrode also comprises a bipolar electrode plate having a cathode surface and an anode surface, wherein the cathode surface opposes the anode surface. The cathode surface at least partially contacts the cathode substrate. An electrochemical cell and a battery stack comprising the bipolar electrode, and a process for manufacturing the bipolar electrode are also disclosed.

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electrode for a battery. The electrode including a current collector frame and an electrode substrate coupled to the current collector frame. An electrically conductive adhesive layer can be between the current collector frame and the electrode substrate and the electrically conductive adhesive layer can include a polymer binder and a conductive filler. The electrode substrate includes a porous material and active electrode material within the porous material. The porous material is copper foam, nickel foam, stainless steel foam, titanium foam, carbon felt, carbon cloth, or a carbon paper conductive polymer. The active electrode material includes one or more of manganese oxide, nickel oxide, vanadium oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, zinc metal, lead oxide, or lead.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrolytic solution having high oxidation decomposition potential, where dissolution and deposition of magnesium proceed repeatedly and stably, using a non-nucleophilic alkoxide-type magnesium salt.

The present invention relates to (1) an electrolytic solution for a magnesium battery comprising a mixture of a compound represented by the following general formula (I), a Lewis acid and a solvent:

##STR00001## (2) an electrochemical device comprising the electrolytic solution, a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and (3) a compound represented by the following general formula (I′):

##STR00002##

An electrolyte solution and a flow cell battery are included herein. The electrolyte solution generally includes a zinc bromide electrolyte solution including one or more class A quat halides. The flow cell battery includes an electrolyte solution including one or more class A quat halides.