DL-malic acid and L-aspartic acid are investigated as additives for the negative electrolyte of vanadium redox flow battery (VFRB) to improve its stability and electrochemical performance. The stability experiments indicate that the addition of L-aspartic acid into the 2 M V(III) electrolyte can stabilize the electrolyte by delaying its precipitation. The results of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that the V(III) electrolyte with both additives demonstrates enhanced electrochemical activity and reversibility. The introduction of DL-malic acid and L-aspartic acid can increase the diffusion coefficient of V(III) species and facilitate the charge transfer of V(III)/V(II) redox reaction. Between the two additives, the effect of L-aspartic acid is more remarkable. Moreover, the VFRB cell employing negative electrolyte with L-aspartic acid exhibits excellent cycling stability and achieves higher average energy efficiency (76.4%) compared to the pristine cell (73.8%). The comparison results with the cell employing L-aspartic acid pre-treated electrode confirm that L-aspartic acid in the electrolyte can modify the electrode by constantly providing oxygen- and nitrogen-containing groups, leading to the enhancement of electrochemical performance. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.