Novel Microfabricated Batteries for Marine Sensors: In-situ Catholyte Generation via Water Addition

Flat micro fabricated galvanic cells have been reported in the recent literature. In this work we present an aluminum-anode cell, which has been loaded with an oxyhalogenated organic compound (sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione) that releases hypochlorite ions via a hydrolysis reaction when water is added. A catalytic metal is used as the current collector. This novel concept in micro cells and the electrochemical characterization of the fabricated cells are presented herein. The results show that the fresh in-situ formation of hypochlorite ions, using the mentioned hydrolysis reaction, constitute a packaging strategy for the oxidizer that leads to advantageous features, especially for battery systems to be used in marine applications. Cells with improved operational life and capacities (about six to ten times larger than in a cell activated with the 10% sodium hypochlorite solution, recently reported in literature) are described herein.