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Aug 27, 2018

This bright blue dye is found in fabric. Could it also power batteries?

Posted by in categories: energy, habitats

A sapphire-colored dye called methylene blue is a common ingredient in wastewater from textile mills.

But University at Buffalo scientists think it may be possible to give this industrial pollutant a second life. In a new study, they show that the dye, when dissolved in water, is good at storing and releasing energy on cue.

This makes the compound a promising candidate material for redox flow batteries—large, rechargeable liquid-based batteries that could enable future wind farms and solar homes to stockpile electricity for calm or rainy days.

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