Researchers have identified a fluorescent dye that glows in the dark which may be an ideal material for stockpiling energy in rechargeable, liquid-based batteries that could power cars and homes. The name of the chemical dye is named as boron-dipyrromethene, which is also called as Bodipy. It consists of a set of carbon rings linked to a boron atom and two fluorine atoms.
The Glow-In-The-Dark Dye
Bodipy, or boron-dipyrromethene, shines brightly in the dark. According to researchers from University at Buffalo (UB) in the US, the dye has unusual chemical properties that enable it to excel at two key tasks: storing electrons and participating in electron transfer. Batteries must perform these functions to save and deliver energy, and BODIPY is very good at them, they said.
As reported by Seeker, a team of chemists at the University at Buffalo tested BODIPY's power-generating abilities with a special type of battery called a reduction-oxidation or redox battery. The researchers found that small amounts of the dye added to a solution of acetonitrile could make battery that can be charged and recharged 100 times without losing its ability to store energy.
Building The Bodipy Batteries
“The library of molecules used in redox flow batteries is currently small but is expected to grow significantly in coming years,” lead researcher Timothy Cook, an assistant professor at UB College of Arts and Sciences. “Our research identifies BODIPY dye as a promising candidate,” he added. Cook is specializing in molecular self-assembly with an emphasis on coordination chemistry.
Redox flow battery's effectiveness depends on the chemical properties of the fluids in each tank, unlike the dye-based batteries. "A [lithium]-based battery has a lot of energy, and if there are mechanical failures, like the membrane separator is ruptured, the battery will discharge all at once, creating a tremendous amount of heat," Cook explained.
“The library of molecules used in redox flow batteries is currently small but is expected to grow significantly in coming years,” Cook says. “Our research identifies BODIPY dye as a promising candidate.” Therefore, it is not possible for us to see cars and homes getting its power from the batteries made from the researchers someday. Technology is really changing the word.
