CHEM 001C Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Electrochemical Cell, Electrochemistry, Gibbs Free Energy
CHEM 001C Lecture 14: Electrochemistry
●Batteries
○Li-ion batteries (rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles):
■Discharge:
●Li → Li+ + e-
●e- + Co4+ → Co3+
■Recharge:
●Li+ + e- → Li
●Co3+ → Co4+ + e-
○Oxygen supply depletes ion supply over time
●Fuel Cells
○Electrochemical cell in which we continually feed reactants to the cell (fill the
reactant tanks)
■Byproduct: H2O, electrical current
●Hydrogen Fuel Cell
○Pump in H2 and O2; separate the oxidation and reduction reactions to generate
electrical energy
■Anode: 2H2(g) → 4H+
(aq) + 4e-
■Cathode: O2(g) + 4H+
(aq) + 4e- → 2H2O(l)
○Hydrogen is combustible, but not efficient
●Current Technology for Making Hydrogen: Steam Reform of Methane
○Producing H2 fuel: water splitting
