QuadriE develops technology at the intersection of organic chemistry, electrochemistry, and membrane engineering. Our work is organised around two technology pillars — each addressing a distinct application of organic electrochemistry, and each building on a shared foundation of expertise in organic molecules, selective membranes, and electrochemical cell design.
Organic Flow Batteries
We develop aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) as a sustainable alternative to vanadium-based systems. Our proprietary tubular reactor cell architecture and size-exclusion membrane strategy are developed and validated within the NewBat consortium, funded by TKI Urban Energy.
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Electrochemical Valorisation of Residual Streams
Organic residual streams contain electrochemically active compounds with significant untapped value. QuadriE is developing processes to identify, recover, and apply these compounds — in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a redox flow battery?
A redox flow battery (RFB) is a type of rechargeable battery that stores energy in liquid electrolytes held in external tanks. Unlike conventional batteries where energy is stored in solid electrodes, flow batteries pump the electrolytes through an electrochemical cell during charging and discharging. This makes power and energy independently scalable — ideal for long-duration stationary energy storage.
How is an organic flow battery different from a vanadium flow battery?
Vanadium flow batteries use vanadium ions dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid — a corrosive, hazardous, and costly electrolyte based on a critical raw material. Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) replace vanadium with organic molecules dissolved in mild aqueous solutions. This results in lower material costs, reduced toxicity, improved safety, and a pathway to biobased or renewable feedstocks.
What makes QuadriE’s approach unique?
QuadriE has developed two platform innovations: a tubular electrochemical cell architecture and a modified size-exclusion membrane strategy. The tubular design enables a compact, high surface-area reactor geometry not feasible with corrosive vanadium electrolytes. The size-exclusion membrane exploits the large molecular size of organic redox molecules to achieve outstanding selectivity without expensive fluorinated materials. Together, these innovations form an IP platform applicable across a broad range of organic redox couples.
What applications are suitable for QuadriE’s flow battery technology?
The technology is particularly suited to stationary long-duration energy storage applications: residential and community energy systems, industrial self-consumption, and grid-scale storage to support renewable energy integration. The modular tubular architecture is scalable from small pilot systems to larger installations.
What is the NewBat consortium?
NewBat is a research consortium funded by TKI Urban Energy (Dutch national innovation programme) running through early 2027. Partners include QuadriE, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), housing corporation ‘thuis, cooperative Energie Samen Foodvalley, and MTSA. The consortium develops and validates aqueous organic redox flow battery technology for urban energy applications. QuadriE leads the consortium and holds the IP.
Can organic flow batteries use waste-derived molecules as electrolytes?
This is an active area of investigation at QuadriE. In collaboration with Wageningen University & Research (WUR), QuadriE is exploring whether electrochemically active compounds present in organic waste streams can serve as functional electrolyte components — combining energy storage with resource recovery in a circular economy model.