The hydroxyl radical battery is any device which utilizes a hydroxyl radical to create a potential energy or voltage. The hydroxyl radical would likely need to be generated in real time as it is unstable. The system can be aqueous or non aqueous but aqueous is preferred.
Any means to create this radical can be used but preferably we would use a biomimetic system that works how mammalian energy production works in order to create a sustainable system. This is to use hydrogen peroxide and/or oxygen in combination with a catalyst to produce the hydroxyl radical. Any catalyst or source of hydrogen peroxide or oxygen or air can be used or any other peroxide. Preferably we would use a catalyst containing iron (II or III). Iron (II) reacts with hydrogen peroxide forming Iron (III) and hydroxyl radical. Iron (III) then reacts again with hydrogen peroxide forming Iron (II) again. Another thing that can be done in this system is to supply something that can preferentially reduce Iron (III) to Iron (II) without consuming a hydrogen peroxide molecule. Bicarbonate may be one such thing that can be used for this. The iron atom can be free or bound to a structure. In mammalian biology this structure is heme inside red blood cells. Any structure to hold the iron atom is sufficient but not required. For ease of use, power, and biodegradability EDDS can be used. Acetic acid or citric acid or edta etc. can also be used. Iron sulfides can also be used. Anything can be used to sequester and/or improve the properties of the iron. The structure can also fulfill any function including but not limited to aid in filtration or create a high surface area structure or keep the iron stationary or sequestered or stabilize oxidation states or facilitate oxidation or reduction. The structure can be organic, inorganic, synthetic, or a combination. It can be applied or deposited by any method to one or both sides of the membrane or create the membrane, etc.
In any kind of cell we need an oxidizing aspect and a reducing aspect. The oxidizing aspect is hydroxyl radical fully or in part with other oxidizing agents. The reducing aspect can be any reducing agent but preferably in an aqueous system; a reducing acid. Most preferably formic acid or acetic acid or lactic acid or oxalic acid or any combination etc. Ideally formic acid will be used fully or in part at any concentration preferably at high concentration. Hydrogen or hydrogen sulfide or -SH could also be used completely or in part. Any means of generating any of these outside or inside the cell can be used.
Separating the oxidizing and reducing aspects of the cell can be anything that can achieve any sort of ion flow while keeping the solutions somewhat separated. This separation need not be physical but can be based on the properties of the oxidizing and reducing aspects themselves like density, miscibility, solubility, etc. There can be one or more than one separation. Ideally a proton transfer membrane would be used allowing the H+ ions from the formic acid to flow through such as Nafion.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your feedback! Sharing your experience and thoughts not only helps fellow readers but also helps me to improve what I do!