Recently, the team of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a new core-shell structure hydrogen negative ion electrolyte and successfully constructed the first hydrogen negative ion prototype battery. This result was published in the international academic journal Nature on September 17, Beijing time.

Hydrogen is an important part of the clean energy system in the future, usually in three forms: hydrogen positive ions (protons), hydrogen negative ions and hydrogen atoms. Among them, hydrogen negative ions have the highest electron density, easy to polarize, and strongest reactivity. They are a unique and huge energy carrier, and their research and development has important scientific significance and application prospects.

In 2018, the research team of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences launched a research on hydrogen negative ion conduction, and in 2023 proposed the "lattice distortion inhibits electron conduction" strategy to develop a room temperature ultrafast hydrogen negative ion conductor. On this basis, the team also coated cerium trihydride (CeH3) with barium hydride (BaH2) thin layer to develop a new core-shell structure composite hydride material. This material can exhibit fast hydrogen negative ion conduction characteristics at room temperature, and has excellent thermal stability and electrochemical stability. It is an ideal electrolyte material.

△Hydrogen negative ion prototype battery diagram

Based on the above-mentioned new hydrogen negative ion electrolyte material, the team used the classic hydrogen storage material sodium aluminum hydride (NaAlH4) as the positive electrode and the hydrogen-depleted cerium dihydride (CeH2) as the negative electrode to assemble the first hydrogen negative ion prototype battery. The team built a stacked battery, increased the voltage to 1.9 volts, and successfully lit up the LED lights, proving the feasibility of hydrogen negative ion batteries to power electronic devices, marking that the hydrogen negative ion battery successfully moved from a "theoretical model" to a "laboratory prototype." As a new energy storage technology path, hydrogen negative ion batteries are expected to play an important role in large-scale energy storage, hydrogen storage, mobile power supply, special power supply and other fields in the future.

(CCTV reporter Shuai Junquan Chu Erjia)