Sulfonated poly(phenylene) oxide (sPPO) polymer is coated in a dopamine hydrochloride solution to prepare a highly durable, low-price polymer membrane for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The polydopamine (PDA) coating on the sPPO membrane is confirmed using SEM and EDX analysis.
sPPO coated with PDA exhibits decreased proton conductivity due to high resistance. However, VO+2 reducibility tests shows that the chemical stability is improved due to the introduction of the PDA coating layer on the sPPO membrane, which has a chemical structure with
poor durability in VO+2 solution under the operating conditions of a VRFB. These results show that this polymer electrolyte membrane based on PDA-coated sPPO is a candidate for application in the long-term operation of VRFBs.