Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations
Summary: The majority of usable energy generated by humanity is lost as waste heat, but thermogalvanic systems (or thermocells) can address this problem by converting low-grade waste heat directly into electricity using redox chemistry. The concentration of the redox couple is a critical parameter;...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Cell Reports Physical Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666386421002149 |
| _version_ | 1819153608703213568 |
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| author | Mark A. Buckingham Kristine Laws Huanxin Li Yafei Kuang Leigh Aldous |
| author_facet | Mark A. Buckingham Kristine Laws Huanxin Li Yafei Kuang Leigh Aldous |
| author_sort | Mark A. Buckingham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: The majority of usable energy generated by humanity is lost as waste heat, but thermogalvanic systems (or thermocells) can address this problem by converting low-grade waste heat directly into electricity using redox chemistry. The concentration of the redox couple is a critical parameter; almost invariably, higher concentrations result in more power. This study exploits the simple synergy between Na+ and K+ counter ions to achieve—to the best of our knowledge—the most concentrated stable aqueous ferricyanide/ferrocyanide thermocell to date, at 1.6 m [Fe(CN)6]3−/4−. Despite increasing the concentration by 400% relative to the standard K3/K4[Fe(CN)6] electrolyte (0.4 m), electrical power production increased only 166%. Pushing the system from conventional salt-in-water electrolytes into the quasi-stable water-in-salt region (up to 2.4 m) resulted in a decrease in power. Detailed characterization highlighted the various physicochemical hurdles introduced by these extremely concentrated electrolytes; the identified issues have direct relevance to other energy systems also seeking to use the highest possible concentration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:07:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-54354a610b454f948307734f10edc2a8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-3864 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:07:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cell Reports Physical Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-54354a610b454f948307734f10edc2a82022-12-21T18:21:56ZengElsevierCell Reports Physical Science2666-38642021-08-0128100510Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrationsMark A. Buckingham0Kristine Laws1Huanxin Li2Yafei Kuang3Leigh Aldous4Department of Chemistry, Britannia House, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, UKDepartment of Chemistry, Britannia House, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, UKDepartment of Chemistry, Britannia House, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, UK; State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, ChinaDepartment of Chemistry, Britannia House, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, UK; Corresponding authorSummary: The majority of usable energy generated by humanity is lost as waste heat, but thermogalvanic systems (or thermocells) can address this problem by converting low-grade waste heat directly into electricity using redox chemistry. The concentration of the redox couple is a critical parameter; almost invariably, higher concentrations result in more power. This study exploits the simple synergy between Na+ and K+ counter ions to achieve—to the best of our knowledge—the most concentrated stable aqueous ferricyanide/ferrocyanide thermocell to date, at 1.6 m [Fe(CN)6]3−/4−. Despite increasing the concentration by 400% relative to the standard K3/K4[Fe(CN)6] electrolyte (0.4 m), electrical power production increased only 166%. Pushing the system from conventional salt-in-water electrolytes into the quasi-stable water-in-salt region (up to 2.4 m) resulted in a decrease in power. Detailed characterization highlighted the various physicochemical hurdles introduced by these extremely concentrated electrolytes; the identified issues have direct relevance to other energy systems also seeking to use the highest possible concentration.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666386421002149thermoelectrochemistrythermogalvanicthermocellelectrochemistryredox-active electrolyteswater-in-salt electrolyte |
| spellingShingle | Mark A. Buckingham Kristine Laws Huanxin Li Yafei Kuang Leigh Aldous Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations Cell Reports Physical Science thermoelectrochemistry thermogalvanic thermocell electrochemistry redox-active electrolytes water-in-salt electrolyte |
| title | Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations |
| title_full | Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations |
| title_fullStr | Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations |
| title_short | Thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox-active electrolytes at water-in-salt concentrations |
| title_sort | thermogalvanic cells demonstrate inherent physiochemical limitations in redox active electrolytes at water in salt concentrations |
| topic | thermoelectrochemistry thermogalvanic thermocell electrochemistry redox-active electrolytes water-in-salt electrolyte |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666386421002149 |
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