Delhi scientists develop a way to produce electricity from water at room temperature
Posted on: 19/Oct/2016 8:56:12 AM
Scientists from the National Physical Laboratory, or NPL, in Delhi have developed a novel way of producing electricity from water at room temperature without using any power or chemicals. The team used nanoporous magnesium ferrite to split water into hydronium, H3O, and hydroxide, OH, ions and used silver and zinc as electrodes to make a cell that produces electricity.
Speaking about this, the researchers said, When we connect four cells of 2-inch diameter in series the voltage increases to 3.70 volts and we can operate a small plastic fan or a LED light of 1 watt. At a stretch, we can operate the LED for one week as zinc hydroxide, which forms at the anode, gets into the nanopores of magnesium ferrite and reduces its activity. Because electrons are trapped in the oxygen vacancies they attract water molecules towards the surface of magnesium ferrite. Only when water molecule is brought very close to the magnesium atom can magnesium have any affinity with hydroxide and start the dissociation process.
