Work

Deposition of oxygen vacancy stabilizing the tetragonal ZrO2 catalyst by atmospheric pressure plasma jet: A case study of vanadium redox flow battery application

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Tetragonal zirconium dioxide (t-ZrO 2 ) was deposited to graphite felt (GF) electrodes using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with zirconium nitrate precursor. Plasma diagnostics revealed the presence of reactive species, including Zr, OH, H α , and atomic oxygen, generated from the dissociation of the water-based precursor. These hydrogen-reactive species promoted the oxygen vacancies formation, thereby stabilizing the tetragonal ZrO 2 phase. Structural characterization successfully confirmed the formation of t-ZrO 2 particles on the GF surface, while XPS analysis indicated an increased concentration of oxygen vacancies after plasma deposition. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated significantly enhanced redox kinetics of vanadium ions, with the charge-transfer resistance decreasing from 217.4 Ω for pristine GF to 2.92 Ω under the optimal deposition conditions of 550 W plasma power and 50 scanning cycles. In single-cell vanadium redox flow battery testing, the modified electrode exhibited improved charge-discharge performance and higher energy efficiency of approximately 74-76%, compared with 64-66% for pristine GF. These results demonstrate that APPJ deposition provides a rapid and effective method to stabilize t-ZrO 2 through oxygen-vacancy engineering and significantly enhance VRFB electrode performance.

Source: Journal of Power Sources

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2026.241722

Authors: Ahmad Nur Riza, Yu-Chih Hsiao, Song-Yu Chen, Yu-Lin Kuo

Institutions: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Ilan University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced battery technologies research

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,230