A flow battery comprising: a first aqueous electrolyte comprising a first redox active material; a second aqueous electrolyte comprising a second redox active material; a first electrode in contact with said first aqueous electrolyte; a second electrode in contact with said second aqueous electrolyte and a separator disposed between said first aqueous electrolyte and said second aqueous electrolyte; wherein the first or second redox active material, or both the first and second redox active materials comprise a metal ligand coordination compound having a formula of M x y z m, where M is independently a non-zero valent metal or metalloid of Groups 2-16, including lanthanides and actinides, in which the metal or metalloid has a redox couple of differing oxidation states; wherein x, y, and z are independently 0, 1, 2, or 3, wherein x, y, and z are selected from the group consisting of (a) x = 3, y = z = 0; (b) x = 2, y = 1, z = 0; (c) x = 1, y = 1, z = 1; m is independently -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5; and L1, L2, and L3 are each independently ascorbate, citrate, a glycolate, gluconate, glycinate, α-hydroxyalkanoate, β-bydroxyalkanoate, γ-hydroxyalkanoate, malate, maleate, phthalate, a polyol, sarcosinate, salicylate, lactate, or a compound having structure according to Formula IA, IB, or IC, or an oxidized or reduced form thereof: wherein X 1 and X 2 are both -OH, or an anion thereof; R 1 is independently at each occurrence H, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkyl, a boric acid or a salt thereof, carboxy acid or a salt thereof, C 2-6 carboxylate, cyano, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, sulfonate, sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, phosphonate, phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, or a polyglycol; n is 1, wherein the first, the second, or both of the redox-active metal ligand coordination compounds comprises at least one ligand having a structure according to Formula IA, IB, or IC. a first aqueous electrolyte comprising a first redox active material; a second aqueous electrolyte comprising a second redox active material; a first electrode in contact with said first aqueous electrolyte; a second electrode in contact with said second aqueous electrolyte and a separator disposed between said first aqueous electrolyte and said second aqueous electrolyte; wherein the first or second redox active material, or both the first and second redox active materials comprise a metal ligand coordination compound having a formula of M x y z m, where M is independently a non-zero valent metal or metalloid of Groups 2-16, including lanthanides and actinides, in which the metal or metalloid has a redox couple of differing oxidation states; wherein x, y, and z are independently 0, 1, 2, or 3, wherein x, y, and z are selected from the group consisting of (a) x = 3, y = z = 0; (b) x = 2, y = 1, z = 0; (c) x = 1, y = 1, z = 1; wherein the first or second redox active material, or both the first and second redox active materials comprise a metal ligand coordination compound having a formula of M x y z m, where M is independently a non-zero valent metal or metalloid of Groups 2-16, including lanthanides and actinides, in which the metal or metalloid has a redox couple of differing oxidation states; wherein x, y, and z are independently 0, 1, 2, or 3, wherein x, y, and z are selected from the group consisting of (a) x = 3, y = z = 0; (b) x = 2, y = 1, z = 0; (c) x = 1, y = 1, z = 1; m is independently -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5; and L1, L2, and L3 are each independently ascorbate, citrate, a glycolate, gluconate, glycinate, α-hydroxyalkanoate, β-bydroxyalkanoate, γ-hydroxyalkanoate, malate, maleate, phthalate, a polyol, sarcosinate, salicylate, lactate, or a compound having structure according to Formula IA, IB, or IC, or an oxidized or reduced form thereof: wherein X 1 and X 2 are both -OH, or an anion thereof; R 1 is independently at each occurrence H, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkyl, a boric acid or a salt thereof, carboxy acid or a salt thereof, C 2-6 carboxylate, cyano, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, sulfonate, sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, phosphonate, phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, or a polyglycol; n is 1, wherein the first, the second, or both of the redox-active metal ligand coordination compounds comprises at least one ligand having a structure according to Formula IA, IB, or IC. X 1 and X 2 are both -OH, or an anion thereof; R 1 is independently at each occurrence H, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkyl, a boric acid or a salt thereof, carboxy acid or a salt thereof, C 2-6 carboxylate, cyano, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, sulfonate, sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, phosphonate, phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, or a polyglycol; n is 1, wherein the first, the second, or both of the redox-active metal ligand coordination compounds comprises at least one ligand having a structure according to Formula IA, IB, or IC.