In the magazine Advanced energy materials We can read an article by scientists from the Japanese pioneering research group RIKEN, where they describe the world's first solid electrolyte that transports hydride ions at room temperature. This could be a key discovery on the way to commercializing more efficient hydrogen-based batteries and fuel cells.
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Hydrogen-conducting steel electrolytes are highly desirable in today's world because, unlike the membranes currently used in fuel cells, they are much cheaper to build and more efficient in the long run. Unfortunately, transporting hydride ions at low temperatures has been difficult for the scientific world for a long time. It seems that the Japanese have found a solution to this problem.
Hydrogen batteries? Japanese experts began developing a solid electrolyte
The research focused specifically on lanthanum hydrides. This happened for several reasons: These compounds have a crystalline structure and can conduct ions at temperatures below 100 °C. Unfortunately, at room temperature, hydrogen bonding to lanthanum is very weak, preventing effective conduction, the scientists report. Therefore, it was decided to replace part of lanthanum with another element – strontium. A little oxygen is added and the effective electrolyte recipe is ready. A substance with the formula La was obtained1-SSRsH3-x-2yHeyy.
The solid electrolyte was tested in an experimental titanium fuel cell. The researchers discovered the exact amount of strontium in which the titanium was completely converted to titanium hydride, meaning zero wasted hydride ions.
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The reports from Japan are really just the tip of the iceberg, but in a positive sense. It turns out that it is possible to produce solid electrolytes based on the transport of hydride ions, and that doping them with strontium may affect ion conduction.
Jack Dodge Genki Kobayashi Quoted from RIKEN press releaseIn the short term, our results provide guidance for the design of materials for solid electrolytes that conduct hydride ions. We believe this will be a long-term turning point in the development of batteries, fuel cells and analytical cells using hydrogen.
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The next step in the research will be to develop the ideal composition of electrodes that will be able to accept and release hydrogen. This would open up a new field of work on rechargeable batteries and energy storage.
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