Hydrogen and oxygen species in mass and charge transport across and along interfaces of novel electrolytes on the base of alkaline hydroxides
Authors : Yu. M. Baikov, E. I. Nikulin, B. T. Melekh, V. A. Klimov
“Old” isotopic methods, namely both isotopic exchange (IsEx) and isotopic effect(IsEff), are the effective characterization technique at the study of interface and surface processes at different length scales. Factually, they are in-situ techniques of significant importance at the study of mass and charge transport across and along interfaces of recently discovered ionic conductors on the base of alkaline hydroxides, namely crystalline KOH·H2O (Tmelt=146°C) and KOH·2H2O (Tmelt=42°C) as individual compounds and solid eutectic NaOH+KOH (ENaK) (Tmelt=185°C). See http://www.solidionic.com. The isotopic technique supplied to traditional physico- and electrochemical techniques is factually phenomenological modelling for a deeper understanding of the underlying transport and reactivity mechanisms. We present the results of the study of IsEff (H<=>D) of both the conductivity and EMF of the heterojunction electrode|protonics as well as IsEx “gas-electrolyte” and “electrode-electrolyte”. The rate of IsEx “gas(H2)-a.m.electrolytes” was compared with the exchange-current on the interface “TiHx(or PdHy)| a.m.electrolytes”. The main conclusions are following. i)The mobility of hydrogen species is higher along internal interfaces than across them in the microheterogenic ENaK. ii) The reality of hydrogen heterojunction has been confirmed. iii) The surface of hydroxides itself can activate the molecular hydrogen.
Accepted as oral presentation at section “F” EMRS 2012