High-tech electrode materials

Oxidants used to transport oxidation equivalents from the electrode to the reaction point are called mediators. A variety of electrochemical production technologies for oxidants are available due to high-tech electrode materials, and nearly any species of oxidants can be produced on site. 

CNTs possess interesting physical properties. Thermal conductivity of CNTs is in excess of2000 w/m/K. They have unique electronic properties. Applications include electromagnetic shielding, electron field emission displays for computers and other high-tech devices, photovoltaics, super capacitors, batteries, fuel cells, computer manory, carbon electrodes, carbon foams, actuators, material for hydrogen storage, and adsorbents. 

A fuel cell is easy to assemble at home. All you need is a membrane-electrode assembly (a one millimetre-thick piece of high-tech material), two metallic or graphite plates with chaimels for feed gas supply and a cartridge with metal hydride which liberates hydrogen upon heating. Clamp a 10 X 10 cm piece of MEA between current collector plates, coimect a hydrogen source to the channels in the anode plate and blow air through the channels in the cathode plate. The fuel cell is now ready to provide you with several tens of watts of DC current. 

---