darkflame89 - 29-3-2005 at 22:27
Hmm..I have this idea(Don't whether it works or not). A certain set of chemicals could be used to utilise solar power or any light source to
generate electricity(albeit at small amounts). The difference of this idea is that the materials are relatively common.
My idea is that a chemical cell is set with the following requirements. One of the electrodes will be a silver/silver chloride electrode. The other
electrode would be a lead/lead(II) oxide electrode. The silver chloride electrode will be immersed in sodium chloride solution. Lead(II) oxide
electrode will be immersed in sodium hydroxide solution. The solutions are partititoned apart with a salt bridge.
When light shines on the setup, silver ions are converted to silver atoms, taking in electrons. Electrons are removed from PbO electrode, oxidising
the electrode to PbO2. The alkaline solution helps in the reaction.Therefore current flows.(I'm not too sure of the voltage)
In the dark, the reaction is reversed. PbO2 will take in electrons, get converted to PbO while silver chloride is regenerated. In the process,
chloride ion is shuttled across the salt bridge to and fro.
The Equations:
Light Reaction:
Ag+ + e ------->Ag
PbO + H20 ------->PbO2 + 2H+ + 2e
The acidic protons are neutralised by the alkaline solution. The chloride ions move across the barrier to the akaline solution.
Dark Reactions:
PbO2 + H2O+ 2e --------> PbO + 2OH-
Ag-----> Ag+ +e
The chloride ions back to the NaCl solution. Hydrooxide ions are regenreated.
So does this work? Ideas and debunk are appreciated. Thx 