Visualizing energy transfer between redox-active colloids
Redox-active colloids (RACs) represent a novel class of energy carriers that exchange electrical energy upon contact. Understanding contact-mediated electron transfer dynamics in RACs offers insights into physical contact events in colloidal suspensions and enables quantification of electrical energy transport in nonconjugated polymers. Redox-based electron transport was directly observed in monolayers of micron-sized RACs containing ethyl-viologen side groups via fluorescence microscopy through an unexpected nonlinear electrofluorochromism that is quantitatively coupled to the redox state of the colloid. Via imaging studies, using this electrofluorochromism, the apparent charge transfer diffusion coefficient <i>D</i><sub>CT</sub> of the RAC was easily determined. The visualization of energy transport within suspensions of redox-active colloids was also demonstrated. Our work elucidates fundamental mechanisms of energy transport in colloidal systems, informs the development of next-generation redox flow batteries, and may inspire new designs of smart active soft matter including conductive polymers for applications ranging from electrochemical sensors and organic electronics to colloidal robotics.
Authors
- Jennifer Huang
- Elizabeth Murphy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0846-7943)
- Joaquín Rodríguez‐López (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4346-4668)
- Zihao Ou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2987-7423)
- Jingshu Hui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6987-4414)
- Christopher M. Evans (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5600-7314)
- Hao Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1594-769X)
- Brian P. Bailey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1859-986X)
- Paul V. Braun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4079-8160)
- Lydia Kisley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8286-5264)
- Lehan Yao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1945-833X)
- Charles M. Schroeder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-2274)
- Yavuz Savsatli
- Jeffrey S. Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5841-6269)
- Subing Qu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0467-3822)
- Elena C. Montoto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4352-4210)
- Junsheng Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1712-1058)
- Bo Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9407-9503)
- Qian Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1968-441X)
- Yu Cao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-0768)
- Julio A. N. T. Soares (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8617-4658)
Institutions
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- The University of Texas at Dallas (US)
- Kennesaw State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2025-09-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ady7716
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Conducting polymers and applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.61