A photorechargeable metal hydride/air battery

Photorechargeable air batteries, which discharge by reducing oxygen in the air and which can be charged by light irradiation, are new types of secondary batteries. We have investigated recharging this type of battery via the photoelectrochemical reaction that occurs at its metal hydride-semiconductor/electrolyte interface. This paper discusses the photorecharging capability of an air battery using a metal hydride anode, namely, a SrTiO3-LaNi3.76Al1.24Hn\KOH\O-2 cell. We have confirmed that our new negative electrode not only prevents self-discharge but is also capable of semiconductor band bending, which is the most important requirement for photorecharging. We have demonstrated that this battery can be photorecharged and discharged by using a metal hydride electrode and oxygen from air. (C) 2001 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.