Historical Notes: Electrochemistry and Fuel Cells: The Contribution of William Robert Grove

Abstract

William Robert Grove (1811-1896), a British lawer, judge, and researcher, discovered the voltaic cell that carries his name (more powerful than the Daniell one), the fuel cell, and carried fundamental research in the area of electrochemistry and allied phenomena. His general analysis of physical phenomena may be considered an expression of the first law of thermodynamics and the negation of perpetual motion.