Strategically Modified Ligand Incorporating Mixed Phosphonate and Carboxylate Groups to Enhance Performance in All‐Iron Redox Flow Batteries

Iron redox flow batteries (Fe‐RFBs) hold significant promise for achieving cost‐effectiveness and utilizing abundant materials for stationary energy storage applications. Here, a design of a novel Fe complex utilizing a nitrogenous phosphonate/carboxylate mixed ligand, N,N‐Bis(phosphonomethyl)glycine (BMPG), is presented to achieve high performance Fe anolyte. Compared to its all‐phosphonate form, nitrilotri(methylphosphonic acid) (NTMPA), the new complex Fe(BPMG)2 demonstrates a negatively shifted redox potential, resulting in ≈0.07 V (≈10%) increase in battery output voltage. Full battery testing paired with ferrocyanide catholyte demonstrates stable cycling (capacity degradation