Excess heat production of the pair annihilation of ionic vacancies in a copper redox reaction using a double bipolar MHD electrode

Through a copper double bipolar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electrode (MHDE) producing twice the amounts of ionic vacancies than a conventional single MHDE, the molar excess heat of the pair annihilation of ionic vacancies, 702 kJ mol-1 at 10 T on average was obtained in a copper redox reaction. It was about twice as large as that of a single MHDE, 387 kJ mol-1 at the same magnetic field. This result strongly suggests that a multi-channel bipolar MHDE will produce much greater excess heat. To conserve the linear momentum and electric charge during electron transfer in an electrode reaction, ionic vacancies are created, storing the solvation energy in the polarized core of the order of 0.1 nm, and the pair annihilation of the vacancies with opposite charges liberates the energy as excess heat. The promoted excess heat by the double bipolar MHDE with a diffuser at 10 T was 710 ± 144 kJ mol-1, whereas as mentioned above, 702 ± 426 kJ mol-1 was obtained by the same electrode without such a diffuser. From the theoretical excess heat of 1140 kJ mol-1, the collision efficiencies in pair annihilation were 0.623 ± 0.126 and 0.616 ± 0.374, respectively. From these results, the reproducibility of the thermal measurement was experimentally validated. At the same time, it was concluded that at magnetic fields beyond 10 T, the concentration of ionic vacancy and the collision efficiency take constant uppermost values.

Long-Term Electrodeposition under a Uniform Parallel Magnetic Field. 1. Instability of Two-Dimensional Nucleation in an Electric Double Layer

Under a parallel magnetic field, after long-term copper deposition from an acidic copper sulfate solution, numerous spherical secondary nodules of 10 to 100 μm diameters were formed one upon another in dendritic mode. This is a new type of micro-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effect arising from the unstable growth of three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclei by specific adsorption of hydrogen ions (second micro-MHD effect). From the viewpoint of instability in electrodeposition, though 3D nucleation in the diffusion layer is always unstable, with ionic specific adsorption such as hydrogen ions, stable 2D nucleation turns unstable after long-term deposition. The resultant competitive growth of 3D and 2D nuclei produces spherical nodules as their composite, leading to their dendritic growth. Furthermore, though negligibly small, nonequilibrium fluctuations occurring in 2D nucleation migrate with the laminar solution flow caused by Lorentz force (MHD flow). Depending on whether the ionic adsorption is specific or nonspecific, the traveling asymmetrical fluctuation changes the direction to the upstream or downstream side, respectively.

Long-Term Electrodeposition under a Uniform Parallel Magnetic Field. 2. Flow-Mode Transition from Laminar MHD Flow to Convection Cells with Two-Dimensional (2D) Nucleation

Following the analysis of the self-organization of two-dimensional (2D) nuclei in Part 1, the flow-mode transition from laminar magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow to convection cells accompanied by 2D nucleation under a uniform parallel magnetic field was theoretically examined using the statistical mechanics of nonequilibrium fluctuation. As a result, it was clarified that secondary nodules of 2D nuclei develop with multiple nucleations during the transition, forming a one-upon-another structure. Then, the evolution of the convection cells as well as the secondary nodules requires unstable growth of the asymmetrical fluctuations by the specific adsorption of an ion. As predicted by the theory, the electrolytic current in copper deposition with specific adsorption of hydrogen ions under a parallel magnetic field developed with time, resulting in a nonlinear steplike curve in a 1200 s deposition time.

Excess Heat Production by the Pair Annihilation of Ionic Vacancies in Copper Redox Reactions

In the pair annihilation of ionic vacancies with opposite charges, a drastic excess heat production up to 410 kJ mol⁻¹ in average at 10 T (i. e., 1.5 times larger than the heat production by the combustion of H₂,  285.8 kJ mol⁻¹) was observed, which was then attributed to the emission of the solvation energy stored in 0.61 nm radius vacancies with two unit charges. Under a high magnetic field, using Lorentz force, we made ionic vacancies created in copper cathodic and anodic reactions collide with each other, and measured the reaction heat by their annihilation. Ionic vacancy is initially created as a byproduct in electrode reaction in keeping the conservation of linear momentum and electric charge during electron transfer. The unstable polarized particle is stabilized by solvation, and the solvation energy is stored in the free space of the order of 0.1 nm surrounded by oppositely charged ionic cloud. The collision of the ionic vacancies was carried out by circulation-type magnetohydrodynamic electrode (c-type MHDE) composed of a rectangular channel with a pair of copper electrodes and a narrow electrolysis cell.

Magneto-Dendrite Effect: Copper Electrodeposition under High Magnetic Field

Ionic vacancy is a by-product in electrochemical reaction, composed of polarized free space of the order of 0.1 nm with a 1 s lifetime, and playing key roles in nano-electrochemical processes. However, its chemical nature has not yet been clarified. In copper electrodeposition under a high magnetic field of 15 T, using a new electrode system called cyclotron magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electrode (CMHDE) composed of a pair of concentric cylindrical electrodes, we have found an extraordinary dendritic growth with a drastic positive potential shift from hydrogen-gas evolution potential. Dendritic deposition is characterized by the co-deposition of hydrogen molecule, but such a positive potential shift makes hydrogen-gas evolution impossible. However, in the high magnetic field, instead of flat deposit, remarkable dendritic growth emerged. By examining the chemical nature of ionic vacancy, it was concluded that ionic vacancy works on the dendrite formation with the extraordinary potential shift.

Lifetime of Ionic Vacancy Created in Redox Electrode Reaction Measured by Cyclotron MHD Electrode

The lifetimes of ionic vacancies created in ferricyanide-ferrocyanide redox reaction have been first measured by means of cyclotron magnetohydrodynamic electrode, which is composed of coaxial cylinders partly exposed as electrodes and placed vertically in an electrolytic solution under a vertical magnetic field, so that induced Lorentz force makes ionic vacancies circulate together with the solution along the circumferences. At low magnetic fields, due to low velocities, ionic vacancies once created become extinct on the way of returning, whereas at high magnetic fields, in enhanced velocities, they can come back to their initial birthplaces. Detecting the difference between these two states, we can measure the lifetime of ionic vacancy. As a result, the lifetimes of ionic vacancies created in the oxidation and reduction are the same, and the intrinsic lifetime is 1.25 s, and the formation time of nanobubble from the collision of ionic vacancies is 6.5 ms.

Surface chirality induced by rotational electrodeposition in magnetic fields

The surfaces of minerals could serve important catalytic roles in the prebiotic syntheses of organic molecules, such as amino acids. Thus, the surface chirality is responsible for the asymmetric syntheses of biomolecules. Here, we show induction of the surface chirality of copper metal film by electrodeposition via electrochemical cell rotation in magnetic fields. Such copper film electrodes exhibit chiral behaviour in the electrochemical reaction of alanine enantiomers, and the rotating direction allows control of the chiral sign. These findings are discussed in connection with the asymmetric influence of the system rotation on the magnetohydrodynamic micro-vortices around the electrode surfaces.

Chiral Recognition of Amino Acids by Magnetoelectrodeposited Cu Film Electrodes

Chiral behavior of magnetoelectrodeposited (MED) Cu film electrodes was investigated for the electrochemical reactions of amino acids. The Cu films were electrodeposited under a magnetic field of 5 T perpendicular to the electrode surface. Such MED Cu films were employed as an electrode, and cyclic voltammograms were measured for the electrochemical reactions of several kinds of amino acids. Chiral behavior was clearly observed as oxidation current difference between the enantiomers of alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. The MED film electrodes with the thickness of 50~500 nm exhibited such chiral behavior, and their surface morphologies had network structures, which could be induced by the micro-MHD effect.

Chirality of magneto-electrodeposited metal film electrodes

The chiral electrode behaviors of magneto-electrodeposited (MED) Ag and Cu films were examined for the electrochemical reactions of D-glucose, L-glucose and L-cysteine. The Ag and Cu films were electrodeposited under a magnetic field of 2 T parallel (+2 T) or antiparallel (-2 T) to the faradaic current. For MED films of both Ag and Cu, the oxidation current of L-glucose was larger than that of D-glucose on the +2 T-film electrodes, and the results were opposite on the - 2 T-film electrodes. These facts demonstrate that the MED metal films possess the ability of chiral recognition for D- and L-glucoses. The MED Ag film electrodes also exhibited chiral behavior for the oxidation of L-cysteine.