Chemists come up with a cheap way to get energy in space

Researchers from the A. N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Federal

research center for chemical problemsphysicists and medicinal chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences propose using the reaction of chlorates with hydrogen to produce electricity. Such batteries will work in space, deep underwater and in other conditions when there is not enough oxygen around. The results of the study were published in the journal Molecules.

Most batteries useredox reactions. During the operation of such devices, electrons are transferred from one reaction component to another. Traditionally, oxygen, which is easily obtained from air, acts as an oxidizing agent.

Blocks of a hydrogen-chlorate battery with a power of 2 W and 20 W (dimensions: 2 × 2 and 9 × 4.5 cm2). Photo: Dmitry Konev

The researchers propose to replace it withoxygen-containing chlorine compounds, which are comparable in activity to oxygen. In this case, hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent, for which many technologies have been developed for safe storage in a compressed form.

The complexity of such a device isthat chlorates are inactive under normal conditions, and expensive catalysts are required to activate the reaction. But chemists managed to prove that if a small current is first passed through the device, then in the process of operation such a battery will produce other compounds that activate the reaction and the current will increase on its own.

During the experiments, scientists showed thatthe prototype they created converts chemical energy into electricity with an efficiency of 40 to 50%. Scientists will continue to work on improving the device.

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