Battery and method for generating electricity
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorTadashi Sotomura
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Abstract
A positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte intervening between the positive electrode and the negative electrode are employed, and a molecule capable of being excited due to absorption of light and electrochemically oxidizing carbohydrate is provided at at least either the negative electrode or the electrolyte, with production of electromotive force occurring between the positive electrode and the negative electrode as a result of supply of carbohydrate while the molecule is irradiated with light and oxidization of carbohydrate by the molecule at the negative electrode. This method makes it possible for the chemical energy which carbohydrates possess to be directly utilized as electrical energy.
Claims21
A battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte,
- said electrolyte intervening between said positive electrode and said negative electrode,
- said negative electrode comprising an oxide semiconductor and a particulate colorant,
- said colorant being a metal complex colorant or an organic colorant,
- said positive electrode being an oxygen electrode,
- said electrolyte containing carbohydrate,
- wherein an electromotive force is generated by irradiating light to said negative electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.