Electrolytes

Abstract

An electrochemical cell consists of two electronic conductors (electrodes) connected via the external circuit (metallic conductor) and separated by an ionic conductor that is called the electrolyte. While the electrodes can be either pure metallic conductors, or mixed electronic and ionic conductors, the separator must be an electronic insulator to prevent a short circuit between the electrodes. In principle, electrolytes can be used in all three physical states: solid, liquid, and gas. Solid electrolytes, e.g., RbAg4I 5, are confined to special studies using solid-state electrochemical cells and sensors for gases such as oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide as well as for ion-selective electrodes [1]. The most common solid electrolyte sensor is a pH electrode in which a glass membrane is an ionic conductor with sodium ions as charge carriers [2] © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.