Due to social distancing constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic, several experiments were designed to demonstrate electrochemical phenomena and applications with readily available substances and materials. One of such experiments focused on water electrolysis, a well-studied phenomenon of great interest to the electrochemical industry. Its main appeal comes from the production of hydrogen gas which is in turn used as the driving force of a fuel cell. Here, the duality of light emitting diodes as solar cells was exploited to produce an electric current from solar radiation. This current was in turn utilized to perform microscale water electrolysis with the aid of a magnetic field to promote paramagnetic dioxygen production and its detachment from a graphite electrode. Lastly, the products of the electrolysis were employed to generate a voltage, therefore demonstrating the principle of a fuel cell.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) as voltage generators: Low cost, magnetically enhanced homemade solar electrolysis

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.