A Review of Modification Methods for the Anode of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

As global energy demand rises and environmental issues become more prominent, the development of renewable and clean energy is essential, yet its intermittent and fluctuating nature requires large-scale energy storage systems. Electrochemical energy storage has emerged as the primary direction for future energy storage development due to its advantages. As one of the electrochemical energy storage methods, vanadium redox flow batteries have many advantages. Electrodes play an important role in batteries. Nevertheless, existing carbon-based electrode materials exhibit limited wettability and insufficient electrochemical performance. These drawbacks hinder effective electrolyte permeation and ion transport, ultimately reducing the overall efficiency of the battery system. This article reviews and summarizes the modification techniques for the negative electrodes of vanadium redox flow batteries, including intrinsic treatment, metal/metal compound doping, heteroatom doping, acidic group loading, and the application of new composite materials.