1 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

2 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Electrochemical cells
Redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons between
two species. The flow of electrons is an electrical current.

Redox reactions can therefore be used to generate

electrical current. This is the basis of batteries and fuel cells.

An electrochemical cell is a
store of chemical energy in a
closed system.

All reactants and products are

contained within the casing of
the cell.

3 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Rechargeable and non-rechargeable cells
There are two types of cell: non-rechargeable and
rechargeable. They are also known as primary and
secondary cells.
Primary cells can only Secondary cells can be
be used once. recharged and reused.

Smaller cells contain fewer reactants and produce less

electrical energy. However, the reaction voltage doesn’t
change with cell size.

4 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

How does a cell work?

5 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Primary cells
A primary cell can only be used once because it transfers
stored chemical energy into electrical energy by a non-
reversible chemical reaction.

Primary cells are usually

cheaper to buy.

They are more reliable as

they do not discharge much
when they are not in use.
This makes them more useful Carbon–zinc
for applications such as dry cell
smoke detectors. Alkaline
dry cell
6 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010
Secondary cells

7 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Reactions in a zinc–carbon cell

8 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Primary or secondary cells?

9 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Batteries

A battery is more than one cell connected together

in a series arrangement.

When a conductor is connected across the two terminals, a

circuit is formed and electrons flow through it.

By connecting more than one cell together, the electromotive

force is increased. The battery voltage is the sum of the
voltages of each of the cells.

A battery is a closed system which contains the high energy

reactants and the low energy products in a sealed unit.

10 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Lead-acid battery

11 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Calculate the e.m.f

12 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

13 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010
Fuel cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical
energy in a similar fashion to a battery. However, a fuel
cell is an open system – reactants flow in and products
flow out, rather than being stored in the cell.

Fuel cells are used in

spacecraft and in
hydrogen powered
cars.

14 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Hydrogen fuel cells
Hydrogen fuel cells have been used in spacecraft for many
years. New developments are incorporating them into cars to
replace the internal combustion engine.
In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen gases react to
form water.
At the anode:

2H2(g) 4H+(aq) + 4e–

At the cathode:

4H+(aq) + O2(g) + 4e– 2H2O(l)

Overall equation:

2H2(g) + O2(g) 2H2O(l)

15 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010
How does a hydrogen fuel cell work?

16 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Label the fuel cell

17 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Production of hydrogen
Hydrogen is a very reactive element and must be produced
by a chemical reaction before it can be used in a fuel cell.

There are currently two main

methods of manufacturing hydrogen:

 reaction of hydrocarbons with steam

 electrolysis of acidified water.

Although a hydrogen fuel cell is not directly polluting,

processes used to produce hydrogen can be. Electricity for
electrolysis is often produced by fossil fuel power stations.
Carbon dioxide is produced from the reaction of
hydrocarbons with steam.

18 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Transporting and storing hydrogen

19 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Hydrogen-rich fuels
With the difficulty in transporting and storing hydrogen,
some fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen-rich fuels which are
converted to hydrogen by an onboard ‘reformer’.

The reformer uses

temperatures of
250–300°C to favour
reactions generating
hydrogen gas.

Hydrogen-rich fuels include methanol, natural gas and petrol.

20 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Direct methanol fuel cells

21 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Reactions in a direct methanol fuel cell

22 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Ethanol fuel cell
Ethanol is a less toxic and
more energy-dense alcohol
than methanol. Research into
developing an ethanol fuel
cell is ongoing.
Currently, platinum-based catalysts
are used to oxidize ethanol, but
don’t achieve complete oxidation. Cheaper, more efficient
catalysts capable of fully oxidizing ethanol are needed.
Ethanol can be made from renewable sources, such as the
fermentation of sugar. These energy resources are
considered carbon neutral – the amount of carbon dioxide
they release is equal to the amount absorbed during growth.

23 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Fuel cell vs. conventional vehicles

24 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Hydrogen economy

25 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Modern breath alcohol testers
Fuel cell technology has been applied to breath alcohol
testers. Ethanol in a person’s breath is oxidized into carbon
dioxide and water, producing a measurable electrical current.
electrical current
ethanol from
breath

oxygen

water

platinum acid–electrolyte platinum

anode membrane cathode
26 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010
27 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010
Glossary

28 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

What’s the keyword?

29 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010

Multiple-choice quiz

30 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2010