Patent ID: 10644342

Abstract:
Flow batteries and other electrochemical systems can contain an active material that is a coordination complex having at least one monosulfonated catecholate ligand or a salt thereof bound to a metal center. The monosulfonated catecholate ligand has a structure of More particularly, the coordination complex can be a titanium coordination complex with a formula of DgTi(L1)(L2)(L3), in which D is a counterion selected from H, NH4+, Li+, Na+, K+, or any combination thereof g ranges between 3 and 6; and L1, L2 and L3 are ligands, where at least one of L1, L2 and L3 is a monosulfonated catecholate ligand. Methods for synthesizing such monosulfonated catecholate ligands can include providing a neat mixture of catechol and up to about 1.3 stoichiometric equivalents of sulfuric acid, and heating the neat mixture at a temperature of about 80° C. or above to form 3,4-dihydroxybenzenesulfonic acid or a salt thereof.